Seeing Clearly
by Zeeji
Summary: Duncan recruits an extra warden, Delia, who has a special talent.  Her story as she travels with Alistair, Aeden Cousland and the rest of their party.   Rated T to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

_This is my very first fanfic. I'm sure that I will make tons of mistakes, and as of right now I have no beta reader. I hope that it will at least be enjoyable to read. Delia is out of my own imagination, Bioware owns everything Dragon Age, and my story will be similar to the game story, but will vary._

Chapter 1: Nothing Lasts Forever

Packing for a journey was never pleasant for Delia, and this would most certainly be one of the least pleasant journeys of her life. She was to sail to Ferelden the following day, leaving the relative safety of the school she attended with her brother and return to life under the thumb of her brutal father. Antiva City had been good to her and Dairren. Delia loved to study languages and was fluent in not only her native Ferelden, but Antivan, Orlesian and Tevinter. However, Comparative Religion was always her favorite subject. Understanding the common basis of cultures fascinated her, and she truly enjoyed learning whatever she could about the people she met as well as their motivations for their actions.

Now she was forced to return to her father's manor. Bann Loren was not a person who valued intelligence. The only reason why Delia and Dairren had been permitted to study abroad was because his wife's father had forced the issue. Grandfather was a close friend of King Maric, and that friendship brought with it power and influence. Now Grandfather was dead, and Bann Loren now had control of the family's wealth so he would not permit it to be "wasted" on mere academic pursuits.

Bann Loren was known for his miserable demeanor. A tall man with dark, short cropped hair and brown eyes that were as dark as the bottom of a mud puddle, he never smiled but had a permanent sneer. He was well known for his shifting loyalties. His life was filled with schemes to better himself, even if it came at the expense of his own family. His temperament was something to fear as well, as he could fly into a rage without a cause. Delia and Dairren knew all too well how the smallest interpreted misdeed could earn their father's wrath. The siblings learned to fear him, and their fear brought hatred for their own father. Their mother always tried to protect them to the best of her ability. Unfortunately, now that her own father was no longer there as a buffer, Mother no longer had the option to keep them safely away from the abuser.

The two siblings would board a ship to Amaranthine in the morning. From there, Mother would meet them with a coach and they would visit Highever, staying at the castle of the Couslands. Terynna Eleanor Cousland was Mother's best friend since childhood, and visits with her were always more than pleasant. Once they arrived, Dairren was to start in his new position of Second to Teryn Bryce Cousland, which was more of a squire job than anything else. He would be fighting alongside the Teryn against darkspawn that had been spotted near the Korcari Wilds. At least he would be spared from returning to their father's house, even if it meant simply tending to the Teryn's horses and armor.

Delia would be staying in Highever with her mother for a week before returning to West Hill. She knew that Mother was trying to yet again create a marriage match for her with Aeden Cousland, the younger son of Bryce and Eleanor. Delia actually looked forward to seeing Aeden again. He was handsome and strong, and Delia knew that a marriage would enable her to leave her father's house and forever be free of him. Marriage with Aeden might not be her preferred life, but there were far worse alternatives.

As Delia packed the last book into her crate, there was a knock on her door. She responded with an absentminded, "Enter", and heard the door open.

"So, do I at least earn a 'Hello, dear brother', or should I return to my room to cry myself to sleep?"

Delia looked toward the door to see her brother leaning against the frame with his hands over his heart and a look of feigned grief on his face. "I am sorry, Dairren. I am so lost in my own thoughts that I just assumed that you were one of the servants sent to bring these crates down to the cart."

"Alright, no harm done then. Do you need any help?" Dairren walked toward his sister and looked over her shoulder.

"No, but thank you. Are you already finished?"

"Yes, and I was sent by Justine to collect you and meet her and Salvatore in the dining hall. They want to personally have a goodbye meal with us."

"Wow, it is quite an honor to have the two heads of the school wishing us well."

"I don't think they are any happier than we are with our predicament. The two of them have always watched out for us like the doting aunt and uncle. It certainly doesn't hurt that we have been their two finest students. Who will translate the ancient scrolls for them now when they are too busy with politics?"

That earned a chuckle from Delia. Antivans were known for their complicated politics. No one seemed immune from the tangled web, and Justine and Salvatore were seemingly always called away by one noble or another trying to impress others with their very educated presence. Since the school was also responsible for investigating all historical finds and a large Tevinter ruin had been recently found, the two were always overworked. Delia and Dairren were a tremendous help taking over the translations from their mentors, helping to make the investigations run faster and smoother.

Delia closed the lid of the crate and sighed. "Well, that is done now. Shall we go?"

Dairren offered his left arm to his sister, and she took it with a smile on her face. She was proud of her brother. He was very intelligent and kind, and although he wasn't a great warrior he could hold a blade well enough. Delia knew many of the young ladies in the school gave him longing glances as they twitted about the handsome and soft spoken young nobleman.

Arriving in the dining hall, the siblings made their way to the head table and took seats next to their mentors. Dinner was pleasant, with many of the students dropping over to say their goodbyes to Delia and Dairren. After the meal, a celebratory glass of Antivan cognac was poured for each student in the hall. Salvatore stood and raised his glass.

"My friends, I am saddened that we must say goodbye to our dear Dairren and Delia. We wish you smooth sailing and only the best that life can offer to both of you. Please know that you will always have a home away from home here. Our doors are always open to you both. Salut!"

The hall echoed with the students' reply of "Salut". Delia wiped a tear from her eye. She really didn't want to leave this wonderful place. This was truly her home. She was safe here and loved her studies.

Justine placed her hand on Delia's. "My dear, I could not allow you to leave here without something special to remember me by. Please stop in my study on your way back to your room so that I can give you my gift in private."

Delia nodded to her mentor. The next half hour was spent with more goodbyes from friends while savoring every drop of the cognac. She didn't even notice when Justine left the table. Giving her brother a kiss on the cheek, she wished him a good night's sleep and left for Justine's study.

Delia knocked on the door, and hearing a soft response from inside the room she opened the door.

"Ah, Delia you are here. I wanted to be sure to give this to you. It will serve you well in your life's journey."

Delia was handed a beautifully wrapped small square box. She carefully opened the package and looked inside to find an incredibly beautiful emerald pendant surrounded by platinum. The square cut stone glittered in the firelight and seemed to be the color of a pine forest.

"This pendant is special, _mi cara_. It is especially enchanted to assist you with your talent and allow you to see the hearts of others even more clearly than you already do. Remember to use this talent wisely and do not allow many others to know of it. You are a very rare person to have it, and there will be many who would use you for their own benefit. Protect your talent and it will protect you."

"Justine, I don't know what I would have done without you in my life. You have been more than my mentor, and I would never trust my gift if you hadn't shown me how. I can't thank you enough for this pendant. I will wear it and treasure it always."

"Ah, _cara_, I only wish that I could protect you longer. I know what you have to look forward to all too well." Justine absentmindedly clenched her hand into a fist at her unspoken memories. "Use your gift to surround yourself with others who will watch over you, and know that I will be here should you ever need me. Be well, my dear friend."

Delia kissed her mentor on the cheek, both women crying softly, and left for her room. It was almost too much to bear, leaving the warmth and safety of this building and traveling to an unknown fate. Sleep would be difficult to achieve this night.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Swift Sails

The morning was bright and clear. Delia and Dairren had a quick breakfast in the dining hall and then met the coachman in the courtyard. Justine and Salvatore were there to say a final goodbye, and they were flanked by most of the other faculty and staff members. By the time the siblings climbed into the carriage, tears were flowing freely, and Delia felt her heart breaking again.

Delia spent the short carriage ride trying to soak in every detail of Antiva City. She watched the people as they went about their work, took in the beauty of the vibrant flowers, and smelled the leather factory. Ah, what was it about Antivan leather? She looked at her feet and smiled, remembering when she and Dairren visited the store and bought matching boots. They were the most comfortable boots she had ever owned, and she wouldn't trade them for anything in the world.

Soon the carriage arrived at the docks, and after the driver assisted with their exit from the travel compartment he made sure that their luggage and crates were brought on board their ship. They would be traveling on The Flying Gryphon, a very well respected ship with a Fereldan crew. Dairren took his sisters arm, assisting her walk across the gang plank to the main deck of the ship.

"Welcome aboard The Flying Gryphon," the captain said with a hearty grin. He was a short man with greying dark brown hair, a mischievous glint in his hazel eyes and a golden earing in his right ear. "Ah, the two of you are the Lorens, I presume? I have arranged for adjoining cabins for you. They are each rather small, but they should be comfortable enough. It looks like you are in for fair skies for your journey. Gibbet here will show you the way."

At those words, a slim man moved forward and made a point of looking at Delia, his eyes roaming slowly up and down her body. He broke into a leering grin, showing several missing teeth. "Aye, Capn', I would be _more_ than happy to show them. An' ifn' you need anything, I would be _more_ than happy to oblige you, m'lady."

The tone of his voice made Delia's skin crawl. Dairren noticed his sister's discomfort and replied for them both. "Thank you, ser; I'm sure if we need anything I will be able to attend to it."

"As you wish m'lord. Follow me then."

The two followed Gibbet into the hold of the ship, and their quarters were next to the Captain's near the front. Their room was actually one room that had been divided with a temporary wall, but they had no reason to complain because it was very clean and the cots seemed comfortable enough.

"The cabin boy'll be round to getcha both when it's time for supper. Until then, stay below deck so us working men can get us sailing."

Dairren thanked Gibbet and gave him some silver. As they closed the door on Gibbet's receding form, the two looked at each other, wide eyed, and broke into laughter.

"Dairren, please do me the favor of never leaving me alone during this crossing. I do NOT trust that man. There is something off about him."

"Don't worry. Either I will be at your side personally or I shall endeavor to have either the captain himself or another passenger that you feel safe with in my place. Hopefully the crossing will be swift and we will only be aboard for a few days."

The siblings spent some time arranging the few items they brought to their cabins, and then sat next to each other with books to read. They listened to the bustle on deck, and before long they started to feel the to and fro motion of the ship as it navigated through the waves. The knock of the cabin boy came before they knew it, and he led them to the galley of the ship.

The galley was nothing special, just a large room with long tables and benches. Dairren and Delia sat down with several other passengers. They introduced each other and learned about their traveling companions. Two were a husband and wife originally from Redcliffe Village. Chloe and Vernon seemed to be jovial and generous people and Chloe took delight in having another woman along to converse with. As merchants, they were returning from trading for exotic Antivan spices. Chloe regaled Delia with stories of their family in Redcliffe. Another passenger was an exotic looking young man from the Anderfels. His jet black hair and pale skin seemed very out of place among the Antivan passengers at the other tables. Dairren learned his name was Nehairel, and he was being sent by his family to be a knight at Vigil's Keep. Nehairel smiled shyly at Dalia, and she looked down, smiling shyly back. The final passenger at their table was a portly man named Josiah. He was another merchant who traded fine Antivan leathers. Dairren had a long conversation with him about leather armor and accessories while the group enjoyed their meal.

One group of passengers sat huddled at a table in the corner. What really set them apart was the fact that each one had a hood pulled over their heads. Delia looked toward them, and one, an elf, caught her glance. He glared at her, making her turn her head away. "_Another reason to stay in our cabin,_" she thought to herself.

Finishing their meal, Delia and Dairren excused themselves and went up to the deck. It was a beautiful day, and the wind felt good on their faces. They were careful to stay out of the way of the deck hands, so seemed to work with a rhythm that was almost choreographed like a dance. The captain noticed the two and gestured for them to come over to the ship's wheel.

"My lady, have you ever had an opportunity to steer a ship?" he asked with a smile on his friendly face.

"I can't say that I have," Delia replied with a grin.

"Well, put your hands here, and keep us heading straight. It isn't hard on a wonderful day like today, and you will have a story you can tell your friends about when you arrive in Ferelden!"

Delia smiled broadly as she felt the movement of the ship through the waves and heard the splash of the water alongside the ship. The smell of the salt air was intoxicating, and she truly enjoyed the experience of being in control of the huge vessel. It made her feel powerful. Almost reluctantly she turned the wheel over to her brother so that he could also experience the power and joy. After a short time, he handed the wheel back to the captain, and thanking him they took their leave.

Dairren led his sister back to their cabin, and the two settled into an amiable silence. Delia couldn't help but feel that the Maker was giving them a last chance at brief happiness before they were to be plunged into despair. At least it seemed that the crossing would have fair weather. All she could do was hope and pray that Ferelden would give her the same.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Deathly Calm

Delia spent her time aboard the ship reading, working on an embroidered pillow, and conversing either with her brother or with Chloe. She had to admit to herself that it was very nice to have the older woman's company at times, especially since they were the only two women onboard. There were several members of the crew who unnerved her, especially Gibbet. If there were any way to avoid his line of sight, Delia would find it.

The first three days passed quickly. The wind was to their backs and the ship sailed swiftly across the sea. When Delia woke on the fourth day, the ship seemed unnaturally quiet. There was barely a wind, and the sea was as smooth as glass. She and Dairren dressed and walked to the galley for breakfast. Most of the passengers were already there and sitting at their normally chosen tables. Delia sat next to Chloe and looked across the room to see that the hooded elf was there without his normal companions. She involuntarily shivered, remembering his icy sneer and she turned her attention to her conversation with Chloe. Their companionable banter was interrupted only by the arrival of Nehairel, who sat across from Delia and smiled gently at her. He barely spoke to anyone, although Dairren had succeeded in having a conversation about the advantages and disadvantages of various weapons the night before.

Delia noticed that Nehairel was looking at her. "Ser Nehairel, you said that you will be taking a position as a knight at Vigil's Keep. May I ask why you are travelling such a long way for a new position?"

"Of course you may, my lady. I served with some men in the Free Marshes who know the Bann of the land. They felt that he might be able to use a man of my talents."

"Have you ever been to Fereldan before?"

"No, my lady, but I look forward to it. Tell me, do they really have dogs that are as large as a small horse? I hear they are smarter than most people and more deadly than assassins."

Delia chuckled. "Mabari hounds are large indeed, but I wouldn't go as far as to say they were as large as any horse. They are indeed intelligent and brave. My family's close friends raise them, so I have seen many over the years."

"You do own such a dog?"

"No, they are valued quite highly, and my family has never invested in one. I dare say that my father would love to have one, if only for the status that owning such a fine animal would bring to him."

With breakfast over, the other people at the table were getting ready to depart for their quarters. Nehairel looked over towards Delia and shyly asked, "Lady Delia, would you consider taking a stroll with me this afternoon on the deck? I would be honored to have the pleasure of your company."

"That would be lovely, Ser Nehairel. Some fresh air would be welcomed on such a calm day. Shall we plan on it after lunch then?"

Nodding his agreement, he bowed toward her and softly said, "I will count the minutes. Until then, my lady."

Dairren led his sister back to their cabin and sat on his cot. "So, it seems you have an admirer," he teased.

"Well, he may admire me, but you know that nothing will come of it. Even Mother would say that a knight would be beneath me, even as a low noble. Perhaps a conversation with him will prove to be a welcome distraction given the overly calm nature of the sea today. Maybe he'll even teach me to use a blade well enough that I could overpower you, dear brother, in a duel!"

Dairren laughed. "I may not be the most proficient with a blade, Delia, but I doubt you would be able to win a duel against me. You are, however, far prettier than I, and I have no doubt that you could disarm any other man merely with a smile." He smiled at his sister, knowing full well the number of young men who had shown their appreciation for her beauty and gentle nature. Someday there would be a man in her life that would be very lucky to win her heart.

They spent the morning reading. Without the wind, the air in the cabin began to feel stuffy, and Delia found herself looking forward to her walk on the deck. Lunch time arrived after what seemed like an eternity, and the siblings walked to their normal table. Much to Delia's surprise, Nehairel was already seated. He looked up at their arrival and gave her a shy smile. She smiled back and sat in her usual place, across from Nehairel.

When lunch was finished, Nehairel stood and offered his arm to Delia. "Shall we venture topside, my lady?" he asked softly. Delia smiled gently and took his arm. Suddenly her mind was filled with images of his life. It was not pleasant. His childhood was filled with beatings and he had run away at an early age. Somehow he found a position as a squire with an elderly knight who also abused the lad in unspeakable ways. The vision showed how Nehairel finally rebelled against the knight, killing him and taking all of his worldly goods. She saw his travels from place to place, pretending to be a full knight and fighting alongside others, but having a dark side to his personality that would come out at whorehouses. It seemed that he would hire a whore and then abuse her to death, then simply disappear from his post and move to another. She could see his heart, and it looked as black as night.

Delia gasped aloud, and Dairren looked at her in alarm. "Are you alright, sister? You are flushed."

She collected herself quickly. "I am fine, Dairren, I simply seem to have twisted my ankle as I stood. Ser Nehairel, would you please excuse me so that I may tend to it? I apologize, as I was truly looking forward to our stroll. Perhaps I will be better later and I can ask Dairren to locate you for me."

"Of course, dear lady. Please let me know if I may be of service in any way."

Chloe started to make a fuss over Delia and offered to bring healing poultices, but Dalia assured her that they had plenty in their cabin. Then Delia took her brother's arm and limped to their cabin. As soon as the door was closed, she threw herself onto the cot and buried her face in her hands.

"Whatever is wrong? You looked like you saw a ghost!"

"Oh, Dairren, I have never had my sight come to me quite that intensely. When I touched Nehairel's arm, the horrible things that I saw… he has murdered many women. I couldn't bear to walk alongside that… monster."

Dairren knew about her talent. Justine had called her a Seer, a very rare talent which gave Delia the ability to see into another's heart. She would see images of the person's past and be able to discern if they were trustworthy.

"I never knew your gift to be quite this strong. Are you alright?"

"Yes, Dairren I am fine. It must be the pendant that Justine gave to me. She told me that it would enhance my gift, and it certainly has. I do not know what to do about Nehairel, however. I can't pretend to have a sprained ankle forever."

"Perhaps you can have your stroll with him with me tagging along as the over protective brother, making certain against your protests that your ankle truly is fine. Then you will have fulfilled your promise, but you will not be alone at any time."

"I think that is as good a plan as any. I could then cut our stroll short and say that I feel the ankle needs a bit more rest."

"Then that is what we will do. I will find him after tea this afternoon, and we will get this stroll out of the way."

Delia nodded. This would not be the pleasant stroll she had hoped for, but at least the fresh air should feel good.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Undesired Attention

Tea time arrived and Delia and Dairren went back to the galley. Nehairel was sitting alone in the corner, but stood and walked toward them when he noticed their arrival.

"Lady Delia, your ankle seems to be much better than earlier. I trust it is no longer troubling you?" he said in a tone that sounded genuinely concerned.

"Thank you, Ser Nehairel. It does feel better, although it is a bit sore. I would like to take that stroll with you, but my brother is insisting that he follow us, just to be sure that it doesn't trouble me."

Nehairel scowled. "My good ser, I am more than capable of assisting Lady Delia if her ankle causes her any grief. I am sure that she will be fine under my protection for the short time we will be on deck."

"While I am certain that is true, Ser Nehairel, I know that if there should be a problem I would never hear the end of it from my mother. I'm sure you understand how protective she is of her only daughter, and I was told in no uncertain terms that I was to bring her home safe and sound. If her ankle is not sound, I will never stop hearing the sound of my mother's voice berating me!" He laughed with a smile on his face, and Delia used her play-acting skills to scowl in his direction.

"There is nothing more over protective than our mother, and it is true that Dairren will suffer for my own lack of grace. Let us go to the deck, I really would like some fresh air."

The three walked up the stairs to the main deck of the ship. Dairren stayed a step behind the two and allowed them to converse without his own comment. Nehairel told Delia tales of his travels and of the many cities he had visited. The deck was unusually vacant, as the lack of wind allowed the sailors to pursue other duties below deck. As they neared the bow of the ship, Nehairel offered a seat to Delia and turned to Dairren.

"Lord Dairren, I was just realizing how hot it is here on the deck. Would you be so kind as to go back to the galley and bring some water for the three of us? I'm sure that your sister would appreciate the chance to sit, but I wouldn't want her to become thirsty."

Dairren looked at his sister, wordlessly conveying his concern. She returned his look, then said to him, "I will be fine, Dairren. I am a bit parched. Thank you so much."

"Very well, I will be right back." He turned on his heel, and looked back to see Nehairel take a seat next to Delia. "_She should be alright for a few minutes," _he thought to himself, and he quickly made his way to the galley.

Delia felt uncomfortable under the gaze of Nehairel. He seemed to be looking her over as if she were a prize racehorse. She shifted uncomfortably in her chair.

"You are a very beautiful woman, Delia," he said, almost purring her name. "Your hair is radiant, and the color, how can I best describe it? It is the color of the autumn leaves in my native land, a beautiful russet. And your eyes are more blue than the sea itself. You have captured my heart, and I wish to have the opportunity to capture yours. Would you be willing to allow me to get to know you better?"

He moved closer to her and placed his hand on top of hers. She swallowed hard and took a deep breath.

"Ser Nehairel, you are a very _interesting_ man. Unfortunately, my father is very strict and I doubt he would approve of a knight pursuing his daughter. He is very conscious of the social structure of our land, and he would certainly lose strength in the Landsmeet if his daughter were to marry someone deemed less worthy than someone of at least the level of a Bann."

"We do not need to marry. I think that you and I could simply enjoy the _pleasures_ that we could share. I believe that I could show you things that you would never _experience_ with any Fereldan man."

He ran his finger down the side of her face and past her neck to her shoulder. Delia felt a shiver go down her spine.

"Ser, I must ask you to stop. You are making me very uncomfortable with this kind of… _attention._" She stood up from her chair and faced him. "Thank you for the stroll, but I will be heading back to my cabin now."

She started to walk toward the stairs as Dairren appeared at the top. He hurried over to her.

"Dear sister, allow me to assist you." He handed glasses of water to both Nehairel and Delia, and then offered his arm which she gladly took in her hand.

"We will see you at dinner, Ser Nehairel." She tugged at Dairren and the walked away from the seething Nehairel.

Once at their cabin, Delia told Dairren what had happened, and she begged him to not leave her alone with Nehairel. He was shocked at Nehairel's inappropriate behavior, and promised to stay by her side. She curled up under her brother's arm as they sat on the cot and they sat in silence until dinner.

When they went to dinner, Delia was visibly unhappy. Chloe seized upon her discomfort and put her arm around the girl, fussing over what she felt was still Delia's injured ankle. When Nehairel arrived at the table, Delia couldn't bring herself to look at him, and when he noticed his eyes went dark. He concentrated on eating his food in silence, and Delia allowed Chloe to monopolize her attention. After they finished their meal, Delia and Dairren returned to their cabin.

They were quietly reading when there was a knock on the door. Dairren opened the door to find Gibbet standing there.

"Sorry to disturb you, m'lord, but the cap'n asked me to have you come to the deck."

"What is this about?"

"I don't know, ser, I'm just doing like I was told."

Dairren ran his hand through his hair. "Alright, I will come with you. Delia, I will be right back."

Dairren walked out and closed the door behind him. He followed Gibbet into a darkened hallway toward the stairs to the main deck, but as they neared the stairs someone jumped out and struck Dairren, knocking him unconscious. After the assailant pulled Dairren under the stairs, he handed a small purse to Gibbet.

"You know nothing, my friend. Remember that and you will receive more when we arrive at the port."

"Aye, I know nothing." Gibbet smiled a toothless smile and scurried up the stairs.

Nehairel walked toward the door of Delia and Dairren's cabin. He smoothed back his hair and knocked on the door.

"Who is there?"

"Your brother asked me to deliver the captain's brandy while he has his conversation on deck. May I come in?"

"Ser Nehairel, it would not be appropriate for you to enter my cabin. Please leave the brandy outside the door and Dairren will bring it in when he returns."

"Nonsense, my dear lady. No one will think any less of you, especially because your brother will be along shortly to act as a proper chaperone."

"Perhaps we should find my brother on deck." Delia opened the door and tried to pass Nehairel, but was blocked. "Please allow me to pass, ser."

"Now, now, Delia. We really need to spend some time together so that you can appreciate all that I have to offer you." He took a step forward, and Delia stepped back.

"Allow me to pass, or I shall scream."

"There is no one below deck to hear you. Can't you hear how the wind has picked up?" He leered at her, his eyes passing all along her body, savoring the view.

Delia shuddered inwardly. Thinking fast, she smiled at Nehairel. "Why don't you sit here, Ser Nehairel? This chair is most comfortable."

"No, I shall sit next to you, my dear. That would be far more to my liking."

"Then please sit and I will pour some brandy for us."

Nehairel sat on the cot and watched her as she took the brandy to the small desk. She smiled as she poured two glasses of the amber liquid, turned, and handed one to Nehairel. "A toast then, to new beginnings?"

Nehairel smiled. This seemed to be going better than he had hoped. As he looked at her, she suddenly threw her brandy right into his eyes. The alcohol burned, and while he tried to clean it out of his eyes, Delia ran.

The hallway was dark, and Delia seemed to bump into everything possible. She ran as fast as she could toward the galley and the stairs to the deck. Nehairel was close behind. He was angry, and telling her to get back to her cabin. She screamed out for help, and then she heard a thump. Someone had come to her assistance!

Nehairel and her unknown hero fought in the dark. She could hear the clash of metal and smell the blood. The fight was short, and she collapsed against the wall, shaking.

"My dear lady, are you alright?" said a voice with a distinct Antivan accent.

"I… I think so… who are you?"

"My name is not important. All that is important is that you are quite fine. I have been keeping an eye on you to ensure your safety. Unfortunately, your brother was rendered unconscious, so we should get you to your cabin and then I shall carry him there."

The stranger lit a few of the candle lanterns, allowing enough light for Delia to see that her savior was the elf she had noticed across the room in the galley. He walked her to her cabin and opened the door for her.

"Now, my dear lady, do not open this door until I return. I will only be a minute."

Good to his word, he returned only a few minutes later, carrying Dairren. Delia opened the door for them and the elf carefully placed Dairren on the nearest cot.

"He shall need healing poultices, but tomorrow he should be as good as new."

"Ser, why are you watching over us?"

"Your good friend, Salvatore, asked that my friends and I take care of your safety. He said that you were quite special friends and he believes that you shall be very important people. You are under my personal protection until you are safe in your mother's arms."

"Thank you so much. How can I repay you?" Delia placed her hand on his shoulder and the visions came immediately. A childhood among many dirty, poorly fed children… torture and training from brutal men who never showed any love… assigned murders… a woman who smiled at him, then lay dead in a pool of blood… the elf, crying in anguish to the four winds… but a clear heart. A true and honest heart. Delia felt a great sadness for this man, but knew that his words were true and she could trust him.

He shrugged his shoulders. "There is nothing to repay. We have been paid quite handsomely already. Now, I must leave to take care of removing Nehairel. I suggest that you remember nothing from this evening should anyone ask."

"I hope that we shall meet again, my friend."

The elf smiled sadly. "Alas, my dear, I must hope for your sake that we do not. Now, I must take care of the rest of this evening's business. Take care of your brother." He walked out of the cabin and shut the door, leaving Delia to tend to her brother's injuries.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Homecoming of a Sort

Delia spent the night caring for her brother. The poultices worked to heal the bump on Dairren's head, and as soon as she was confident that he was better the siblings settled into a fitful sleep. Morning arrived too quickly, and they dressed and walked wearily to the galley. As they sat at their regular table, Delia noticed the elf across the room. He caught her eye and gave her a small smile, while lifting his glass in her direction.

As they were nearing the end of their meal, Chloe looked around the room. "My, I wonder where Nehairel is. I know that he will come to breakfast late, but he is usually here by now."

Delia looked at her plate. "Maybe he decided to stay in his room this morning."

"Didn't you spend some time with him yesterday?" Chloe leaned toward Delia with a mischievous look in her eye. " He seemed to have taken a fancy to you, my dear."

"Why, yes, I did see him in the afternoon," she said, blushing. "I had to tell him that I knew we could never be anything to one another as my father would disapprove. Ser Nehairel could be the most important knight in all Fereldan, but 'twould make no difference in my father's opinion. He will not permit me to see anyone who is not nobility."

"That must have been difficult for him to hear. The poor lad seemed smitten with you."

"Yes, he was very unhappy." Delia paused, sighed for effect, and looked down at the table. "Perhaps he did not want to see me today."

"Ah, the poor dear. Vernon, if we see the lad, perhaps we can interest him in a book to take his mind off of his troubles."

Vernon kissed her lightly on her cheek. "Ah, Chloe, you always have the mind of a merchant. I think the lad will work through his broken heart well enough on his own." Chuckling quietly, he led his wife toward their cabin.

Dairren led his sister back to their cabin. On the way, he noticed Delia nod toward the elf, and it made him feel unsettled. Once he closed the door behind them, he asked her about the elf, and she told him everything that had happened, including how the elf was hired to protect them by Salvatore. They settled into more mundane conversation only to be interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Don't mean to startle you, it's just me," the jovial voice of the captain lilted through the door. "Just wanted to let you know that I expect that we will be docking in Amaranthine tomorrow morning. You may want to spend some time today packing your things away."

They thanked the captain for the news, and after he left to speak to the other passengers they decided to organize the few belongings they brought with them. Once clothes were folded they would be easy to stash into their packs. Lunch time came quickly, and Chloe dominated the conversation. She was looking forward to showing her favorite customers the assortment of spices and fabrics they brought back with them. The rest of the day passed quickly. Delia and Dairren spent some time looking out the porthole trying to recognize any part of the coastline that was quickly approaching.

The final dinner of the crossing was meant to be a formal affair. Delia chose to wear an emerald green dress, and braided her hair into a tight bun. Dairren wore a dark brown tunic which had elaborate embroidery. When they arrived at their table, Chloe clasped her hands together and commented on how stunning the two looked.

"Oh, wait until Nehairel sees you tonight, Delia. He won't be able to keep his eyes off of you!"

Delia looked at Dairren, who coughed into his fist. They sat down, and as they were served their meal, the steward poured an Orlesian wine. It complemented the Ferelden roast lamb, and the mood in the room was festive. Most of the crew was gathered at a table, and Delia noticed Gibbet staring at her. The look in his eye was threatening, and she turned to Vernon to ask about where he planned to sell his goods. No one commented on the missing Nehairel, much to Delia's relief.

After the meal, Delia took Dairren's arm, and muttering excuses about needing sleep she hurried him to their cabin. Gibbet's eyes never seemed to leave her. Once in their cabin, Delia insisted on placing their baggage in front of the door as a precaution. She didn't want anyone walking in on them. Dairren thought it was unnecessary, but didn't complain.

Sleeping was difficult. Delia was excited that she would be seeing her mother, but was worried about her future. _Oh please, Maker, find a way to keep me from having to return to West Hill!_ When the morning finally came, they had breakfast in the galley and said their goodbyes to their traveling companions. Dairren asked the captain to send a cabin boy to help them with their bags, and then they went back to the cabin. A young lad came quickly, and the three made their way to the deck. It seemed as though the ship had split open and everyone was on deck. It was difficult to move through so many people, and Delia became separated from Dairren and the cabin boy. Suddenly a hand grabbed her arm.

"You cost me, you did. Where is Ser Nehairel? He owes me money, an' I know you did something to him."

Delia was shocked, but before she could say anything the elf was at her side. "My good man, take your hand off of her. You should know better than to treat your passengers this way, yes? I am certain that your captain would take offense to this mishandling."

Gibbet snarled and let her go. The elf took her arm and led her away quickly. They caught up to Dairren, and the elf bowed to the two. "May the remainder of your travels be safe." With that, he disappeared into the crowd.

The siblings crossed the gangplank to the dock, and before long they saw their mother waving frantically to them. They walked quickly to her, and greeted her with hugs. A knight was with her, and she introduced him as Ser Gordon, from Highever. Ser Gordon arranged for some of his men to gather their crates from the ship's hold, and then he led the family to a waiting carriage.

The ride to Highever was pleasant. The air was crisp and smelled like it had recently rained, but the skies were bright blue. The hills were a vibrant green. Delia noticed some farms with herds of cattle and sheep, and she became sleepy from the rhythmic clip clop of the horses hooves. Several hours later, they arrived at Castle Cousland, the jewel of Highever.

As they exited from the carriage, Terynna Eleanor Cousland walked out to greet them. It had been several years since Delia and Dairren had visited, so they walked to a private garden for refreshments and conversation. The castle was busy with warriors of all sorts bustling about readying themselves for their deployment to Ostagar. Lunch was pleasant in the garden. The flowers were in bloom, and Delia commented on the beautiful roses. The colors were vibrant and the aroma was intoxicating.

It would have been perfect, had it not been for the incessant barking of a mabari somewhere nearby. Terynna Cousland excused herself for a few minutes, and when she returned she told her guests that she asked one of the knights to find her son, Aeden, to deal with his mabari. Apparently, the dog was constantly in trouble, and it had imprinted on Aeden so he was the only person who could control it.

The barking finally stopped, and soon after Aeden joined them with the mabari at his side.

"Ah, you remember my son, Aeden?"

Dairren gave him a hearty handshake in greeting. "It is good to see you again, my friend."

"And you as well, Dairren. And this, this can't be Delia. The last time I saw you I could have knocked you over with a feather! May I say you have changed quite a bit?" He smiled a lopsided smile at Delia, and she returned a shy smile at him.

"It's nice of you to notice, Aeden. Is this your mabari? I have always wanted to have one. Are they as intelligent as I have heard?"

The mabari licked her hand and sat at her side. Aeden chuckled. "Sometimes they are _too _smart for their own good. His name is Dusty, and yes, he is my mabari."

Delia put her hand on the dog's head and scratched him behind the ears. "What a lovely dog. You are very lucky to have such a noble animal."

Dusty barked appreciatively, earning a laugh from everyone present.

Terynna Cousland looked at her son. "Aeden, I need you to find your brother, Fergus, so that you can say goodbye to him."

"Alright mother, but I still wish that you would let me go to fight with him and father. It isn't fair for me to be stuck here."

"I understand your feelings, but I need you here to take care of the castle business while your father is away. I will be here for a week with our guests, but then I will be traveling with them to West Hill for a month. You will be the head of the house."

"Yes, mother. By the way, did you know that there is a Grey Warden here? He is recruiting for his order and he will be testing Ser Gilmore in the morning."

"Yes, I have known Duncan for a long time. Ser Gilmore will be a worthy recruit for the order. We will talk more about this later. Now, go find Fergus."

Aeden excused himself and disappeared through a door.

Dairren looked at the terynna and smiled. "My lady, I was wondering if I might have a look in your library to borrow a book or two while we are away. I'm afraid I have read and reread the books that I currently have to a point where the bindings are breaking."

"Of course, my dear. Why don't you and Delia go there now and enjoy yourselves. We will meet in the dining hall for dinner in an hour."

The two walked to the library and poured over the volumes. Dairren selected a book on Ferelden military history and a book on horticulture. Then they went to the dining hall and found their mother with both the Teryn and Terynna.

Bryce Cousland stood up to greet them. "Ah Delia, Dairren, how good it is to see you both. I'm looking forward to having you alongside me, my boy." He gave each of them a warm hug.

"Thank you, Teryn Cousland. I hope that I will not disappoint you."

"Dairren, there is no reason for you to be so formal with me. From now on, I expect you to call me Bryce."

"Alright, Bryce. I will try." He smiled shyly at the teryn.

"May I introduce you both to our distinguished guest? This is Duncan, Warden Commander of the Grey Wardens."

Delia looked at the warden. His eyes were friendly and his voice was warm. He immediately was caught up in conversation with the men at the table about battling darkspawn. Delia found that she was far more tired than she expected, so as soon as she could she excused herself and went to her room. The Couslands had given them their usual guest quarters, just down the hall from the family's own suite. The room Delia was given was comfortable and furnished in an elegant but understated fashion. It always felt better than home when she stayed here. Putting on her nightdress, she settled herself into the bed. She needed a good night's sleep. Tomorrow she would have to say goodbye to her brother and since she had never been separated from him before, it would be very difficult. Luckily she didn't have much time to think about it, as exhaustion and a warm bed helped her to slip into much needed sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Betrayal

Delia woke to the sounds of screaming. She didn't know what to do, but when she heard fighting in the hallway outside of her door, she jumped out of her bed and shut herself in the wardrobe. She sat in there, trembling in fear, and listened to the cacophony. Suddenly things were quiet, and she heard the door to her room open. A voice she couldn't recognize said, "Doesn't look like anyone's here. Maybe they went down for a little snack. Won't they hate it when their head is on the platter?" The voice broke into laughter, followed by the guffaws of several other men.

Suddenly it sounded as though the men were fighting in her room. The sound of clashing metal burned her ears, and the thumps of bodies hitting the floor made her shiver.

"Delia isn't here, Mother. Where would she have gone?" It was Aeden's voice.

"Wait, Aeden, I am in here." Delia opened the door of the wardrobe. She was ghostly pale, and as she looked into her room there was blood spattered everywhere. The bodies of several soldiers were on the floor, wearing the Howe crest on their tabards.

Terynna Cousland ran to the girl and hugged her tight. "Oh, my dear, I am so relieved to see you. It seems that they have already killed everyone else on this wing. Your poor mother, I can't tell you how upset I am. They've also killed Orienna and my little grandson. Now quickly, you must put on your dressing robe and some shoes. We have to find Bryce and get out of here."

"What about Dairren? Where is he?" she sobbed as she quickly dressed.

"There was blood in his chamber, but he wasn't there. Perhaps he was able to get away. I don't really know."

The three humans and Aeden's mabari quickly made their way down the hallway. Their first stop was the family's armory, where the Terynna opened the strongbox to get the family sword and shield. While in the armory, Aeden and his mother found some basic leather armor and daggers for Delia.

"I don't even know what to do with these, my lady. I've never been trained to fight." Delia protested.

Aeden shook his head. "You don't need to have training. If someone grabs you, just stab them. Otherwise stay behind me and I will protect you with my shield. Dusty will also be looking out for anyone who sneaks up on us."

Leaving the armory, they were nearly overwhelmed by Howe's men, but between the fighting skills shared by Aeden and his mother, the highly trained war hound and the few surviving members of the castle staff, they finally arrived intact at the main hall. Loud pounding on the huge oak doors told them that Howe's men were trying to break the doors down. Once they accomplished their goal, no one would have a chance to escape. Ser Gilmore was leading the Highever men, urging them to hold the door as long as possible.

"Terynna Cousland, thank the Maker you are alive. Your husband has been looking for you and told me that should I see you to tell you to meet him at the servant's entrance in the larder. My men and I will hold the door, but I don't think it will be long before it gives way. Please hurry and make your escape."

"Ser Gilmore, have you seen my brother? Has he been here?" Delia pleaded.

"I'm afraid not, my lady, but if I do see him I will send him your way."

The Terynna thanked the knights. They were all such loyal men, and it pained her to leave them to their certain deaths, but she needed to lead her son and friend's daughter to safety. The group left and made their way quickly to the kitchen, fighting more of Howe's men on the way. There, in the larder, Bryce Cousland lay on the floor in a pool of blood.

"Bryce!" the terynna cried, and threw herself to the floor beside her husband.

He raised his head. "Thank the Maker, you are alive. You need to escape. Take Aeden and Delia and leave now through the servant's entrance."

Aeden shook his head. "No, Father, not without you. I won't leave you here."

"I can't go with you, pup. I haven't the strength."

"Then I will carry you." Tears were flowing down the young man's face.

The Teryn answered softly, "Only if you are willing to leave a large part of me here on the floor, my son. I will not survive, and trying to take me with you will slow you down. I'm certain that Howe has the castle surrounded, and it will be difficult enough for you to escape without me."

A deep voice sounded from the doorway. "I'm afraid he's correct. Howe's men indeed surround the castle, and we must leave immediately. The great doors will be breached at any moment."

The Teryn looked sadly at Duncan, who was walking toward him from the doorway. "Duncan, please, save them."

"I am willing to do that, my friend, but I must ask a boon of you in return. I came to Highever to recruit a Grey Warden, and I cannot leave without one. I ask that you allow me to conscript your son."

To Aeden's surprise, his father readily agreed. "Yes, Aeden will be your recruit. Please be sure to save Lady Delia and my wife. Bring them to Ostagar with you. Perhaps the king will see to their safety."

"No Bryce, I will not leave you." Eleanor crossed her arms in front of her chest. "You are my husband, and I will die defending you. I can also buy some time for their escape if I stay here."

He chuckled. "I know that look. Whatever you say, my love."

Aeden looked at his parent's as if they had gone insane. "So I'm just supposed to leave you here to die? And I'm supposed to become a Grey Warden? Why don't I get a choice?"

Bryce looked at his son with sadness in his eyes. "You must survive, my son, to not only tell Fergus what has happened here, but to have vengeance. You must do this not only for the Couslands, but also for our dear friends, the Lorens. I trust you to do this for us all. You are strong and smart, and you will be a great Warden. Always know that we love you and are proud of you, but you must leave now."

With that, Duncan started to lead the two toward the tunnel. Aeden looked back to see his mother cradling his father's head in her lap, and they were talking quietly and sadly about how wonderful their lives had been together. He choked back tears as he followed Duncan and Delia into the tunnel.

The four hurried through the servant's tunnel, which led them to a door in the wall behind the castle. Duncan motioned for the others to hold, then he threw open the door and began fighting the two soldiers stationed there by Howe. Aeden and Dusty joined him, and they quickly dispatched the soldiers. Duncan motioned for them to follow him, and he led them away from the castle and towards the edge of the forest.

When they reached the timberline, he quietly told Aeden and Delia his plan. "We must travel for some time tonight, before Howe's men find the dead guards at the wall. If we are careful, we should be able to hide our tracks and still make it to the Village of Kell by tomorrow afternoon. It will be a push for you both, but we need to get supplies. Once the sun comes up, Aeden will hunt for breakfast and we will take a break. For now, it is imperative that we move as quickly as possible."

They traveled in silence. Delia and Aeden were in a state of shock, and only had enough will to just keep walking. They didn't even have enough awareness to know when they were exhausted; the rhythm of their steps was the only thing they could concentrate on. Duncan was aware of their states, and he whispered to the mabari to help to keep the two close by.

The sun rose before they knew it, and Duncan was pleased to see that they were only about two hours from Kell. He stopped the group, looked for an appropriate place for a campfire and asked Aeden to hunt for some small game. Delia sat on a log and watched as Aeden walked into the forest with Dusty, and Duncan went to work building the campfire. As the first flame glowed on the logs, Aeden returned with a rabbit. Silently he sat and prepared the rabbit for cooking. When it was ready, Duncan had a strong fire going, and before long they each had a meal of roasted rabbit.

Duncan could see how exhausted his charges were, so he suggested that they sleep for a few hours. Both Aeden and Delia fell asleep nearly immediately, with Dusty curled up under Aeden's arm. Duncan looked at the two and sighed. He knew their despair, as he had seen more than his share of tragedy. He knew that the road ahead would be rough for both of them. Then there was the issue of how to return Delia to her father. Duncan knew Bann Loren and didn't look forward to reacquainting himself with the man who was known for his shifting loyalties. Maybe if he asked the king for a small group of soldiers to travel with them he would be able to make the trip without any incident.

After a few hours, he put out the campfire, woke the others and they started the last leg of their trip to Kell. Again, Aeden and Delia walked automatically, and there was no conversation. Finally they reached the small village. Kell wasn't even on most maps because it was so small. It seemed like it was merely a few houses tucked into a glen on the mountainside. Most of the residents were families that had lived in the area for generations, and the town could only boast a blacksmith and a small tavern other than the handful of residences.

Duncan led the group straight to the tavern, The Fox's Horn. Outside was an old weathered sign painted with a comical looking red fox lying on its back holding a circular horn in its four paws. The party entered the tavern and was greeted warmly by a middle aged woman who was tending to a trio of customers.

"Duncan! What a surprise! It is so good to see you. Jofrey and I have missed you. Care for a bite to eat? We've got shepherd's pie for lunch today, and I know how much you love my cooking."

"Nattie, it is good to see you as well. Yes, my companions and I would love to have lunch, especially knowing how much of a delicacy your cooking is." He looked at her with a smile and a twinkle in his eye.

Nattie swatted his arm with a towel. "Oh, you… I have missed your teasing. Let me get you your food and I'll send young Maric after Jofrey."

Aeden raised his eyebrow at Duncan. He in turn looked at Aeden and chuckled. "It's a long story, and I will tell it to you after we've eaten."

They took their seats at a table near the fireplace, and Dusty settled down with a sigh right in front of the fire. Their food arrived quickly, and Aeden and Delia soon learned how Duncan had indeed been teasing their hostess. The shepherd's pie was bland and overcooked, but they were hungry so no one complained. As they ate, a man came through the door followed by a boy who looked like he was no more than ten years old. Warm recognition flowed across the man's face as he looked at Duncan, who rose from the table to greet the man with a warm hug.

"Jofrey, it has been too long, my friend."

"Yes it has been indeed! I guess there hasn't been much need for you wardens around here, eh? I am so glad to see you again. Let me introduce my son, Maric. Maric," he continued, smiling at the boy, "this here is the famous Grey Warden I've told you about."

The boy's eyes became as large as dinner plates as he looked at Duncan. "You're the man who fought with the king and queen? The one who went into the Deep Roads? Wow…"

Duncan laughed. "Aye, lad, I see that your father has told you some stories about our travels. You'll have to help me tell them to my friends here. May I introduce you to Aeden Cousland and Delia Loren? Aeden and Delia, Jofrey was a knight in the king's service. We had some interesting adventures together. And the lady across the room is his wife, the lovely Nattie. Jofrey, do you have rooms we could have for the night? I think my companions would prefer a nice, warm bed over the cold, hard ground. We'll also need to buy some supplies."

"Not a worry, not a worry. We always have room for you. After you finish your meal, come on over to the smithy. We'll get you squared away with your supplies."

Jofrey and Maric sat at the table, joined shortly by Nattie, and soon the conversation became lighthearted as Jofrey regaled them with tales of his travels with Duncan and their royal party. Duncan would laugh and add tidbits to the stories, and soon Aeden and Delia were feeling a bit better, their troubles set aside for a little while.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: A Taste of Freedom

After lunch was finished, Jofrey led the way to the smithy, with young Maric holding Delia's hand. The smithy was across the dirt road from the tavern, and the heat from the forge made its way into the middle of the road. Inside the shop, Duncan looked over the array of armor and weapons. He noticed a nice set of leather armor that looked like a better fit for Delia than the mismatched pieces grabbed from the Cousland armory. There were also some nice daggers that he felt would be better suited for Delia as well. They were nicely balanced and had fine leather grips whereas the daggers from the armory were poorly matched and needed to have the grips reworked. Jofrey had Delia put the armor on and marked where he would need to make adjustments, and then set the pieces aside to work on later. After settling on a price for the armor and daggers, Jofrey brought them into the stockroom, where Duncan selected the other supplies that they would need. Bedrolls, tents, and traveling packs were placed alongside smaller items such as whetstones, flints and dried rations. While Duncan selected what they would need for their travels, Maric asked if Delia would like to see the town. Duncan nodded his approval with a small smile, and Maric gleefully grabbed her hand and led her outside.

The young boy skipped down the road, talking to Delia nonstop about who lived in which house, where he had seen the robin's nest that previous spring, where he and his father would go fishing, and everything and anything he could think of. Delia found herself smiling. The child was so happy and his energy contagious. He seemed to be sunshine incarnate, and she enjoyed the chance of seeing his village through his innocent eyes.

The villagers were going about their normal daily routine. Women were washing clothes, the baker walked down the street with a basket full of bread headed for the tavern, and Delia could see farmers in the fields on the outskirts of town. It was peaceful and restful watching all that seemed to be normal. Delia found herself thinking of West Hill. The area was also beautiful and walking through its town you would see many of the same sights. The difference was that the people would not be smiling at her. Everyone would look at her and then avert their eyes. The people feared her father, and would not chance any sort of connection with his family. Delia found herself enjoying the freedom of being an unknown stranger who wasn't prejudged by her father's behaviors.

As they started walking back toward the tavern, Delia saw the party emerge from the smithy. Duncan saw her and gestured her to come, so Delia told Maric they had to go back. They entered the tavern shortly after Duncan, Aeden and Jofrey and joined them in the center of the room.

"Delia, Nattie has kindly readied rooms for us. You will have the room at the top of the stairs on the left, and Aeden and I will share the room next to yours. Would you like water for a bath?"

"Oh, yes, I would like that."

Duncan nodded. "I will have Nattie bring water to your room. In the meantime, we've arranged for some clothing for you which you will find in your room. Please make sure that it will fit you, and if there is anything else that you need feel free to ask Nattie."

"Thank you, Duncan. I will go look at the clothes now." She turned toward Maric. "Thank you, kind ser, for the tour of the town. I had a very nice time." She gave the boy a warm smile.

Maric blushed slightly. "My pleasure, miss. Now I have to do my chores for Ma." He rushed out of the room, leaving the adults chuckling.

Delia excused herself and went to her room. On the bed were breeches and tunics as well as some smallclothes and chest bands. _"I would assume that Duncan didn't choose those for me himself,"_ Delia thought to herself, _"although the thought of a seasoned warrior trying to select women's underclothes is quite amusing!"_

Within a few minutes Nattie arrived with a kettle of hot water which she poured into the tub. Before long, there was a nice warm bath prepared.

"Here, dear, all young ladies need some nice scented soap. I'm sorry I don't have anything fancier for you, but consider this a gift from me." Nattie smiled at the girl.

"Thank you so much, Nattie. I really appreciate having you here to look out for me." Delia gave her a quick hug.

Nattie left the room, and Delia prepared for the bath. Settling into the warm water felt wonderful and the soap smelled like roses. Delia began to relax, and she stayed in the tub until the water had cooled. She dried off and put on a new set of breeches and a tunic. For a girl who had spent her life wearing dresses, pants felt strange. _"Oh well, this is my new way of life,"_ she thought to herself. At least the breeches were soft and the tunic was comfortable.

She left her room and went downstairs. Aeden and Duncan were sitting at a table near the fireplace.

Aeden whistled. "Well, look at you! I never thought you could look so good wearing breeches!"

As Duncan gave him an angry look, Delia laughed. "Don't worry, Duncan. Aeden used to tease me all the time about wearing dresses even when we would ride out for a picnic. He, Fergus and Dairren could never understand how I could possibly sit in a saddle with all that extra material around my legs."

She sat next to Aeden. He leaned toward her and sniffed. "You smell nice, Delia. How did you manage that?"

"Thanks to Nattie. It's nice to have someone here who understands that women need to be pampered a bit."

"Well, anything is better than the smell of that dog of yours, Aeden. I would suggest giving him a bath while we are here." Duncan threw back his head with a laugh. Dusty looked at Aeden and whined.

"Ah, Dusty, they simply don't appreciate your Eau du Mabari," Aeden replied with a grin.

Nattie seemed to appear out of nowhere and served them dinner. It was some sort of greyish stew, served with large hunks of fresh baked bread. The stew tasted about as bland as it looked, and Delia had a difficult time eating it. She never realized just how lucky she had been at her school, where the meals were prepared by the students learning the culinary arts. While the two men ate quickly, she picked at her food. Aeden finished his meal and excused himself to take Dusty for a walk. Duncan decided to take the opportunity to talk to Delia alone.

"Delia, we have to decide how best to get you home to West Hill." Delia looked at Duncan with alarm, and he found her fear startling. "What's the matter? I thought you would want to get home as soon as possible, given everything you have been through."

Delia took a deep breath, and decided that she needed to speak her mind. "Duncan, I do not want to go back to West Hill. It is no more of a home to me than Amaranthine, and if I were to be there without my mother I do not know if I could survive."

Duncan looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "Your father is there. Surely he will want you to be safe in his care."

"My father neither cares for me nor would make me safe. You have no idea…" She looked away, and her eyes teared. "My father has a… temper. There is no way of knowing when it will erupt. My brother and I lived in fear of him. He is the reason why my grandfather sent us to Antiva. When Grandfather discovered the scars Dairren and I wore, he immediately took us away. The only time I have spent in West Hill during the last ten years has been during the summer when our school was not in session. My school is where I consider my home to be, and alas, I cannot go back there now that Father is in control of my grandfather's fortune. I beg you, Duncan, please allow me to stay with you and the Grey Wardens. I would rather become a member of the wardens than ever set foot in my father's manor again."

Duncan pondered what she said. Knowing her father as he did, he could easily imagine the man being a tyrant to his own children. "There is a major problem with your becoming a Grey Warden, Delia. You do not even know how to fight. How could you become a defender against the darkspawn?"

She looked straight at him. "I could learn. Teach me! I have always done well in my classes, and I am certain that I could learn fighting techniques."

"There are techniques that I could teach you, but it would take you many years before you could master them. Being a Grey Warden is not a life meant for young ladies."

"I understand, but I would be willing to work hard." Delia swallowed hard and continued. "I also have a… skill… that you might find useful."

"My dear, what kind of skill could you have that would be useful as a warden?" He looked at her worriedly, leery of what she might say."

"First of all, you have to promise me that you will not tell anyone else what I am about to tell you, unless you ask for my permission first. I have been told that, for political reasons, my skill could put me in danger."

"Of course, you have my word, as a warden and a gentleman."

"I am what am known as a seer. I am able to discern whether people are trustworthy or not by simply touching them."

Duncan was surprised. This was unexpected. "I once knew another warden who was a seer. According to what he told me, seers are often mages, but not always. Are you a mage?"

"No, I have been tested many times, and show no signs of any other magic ability."

"You understand that I need some proof of this." Delia nodded at him and reached over the table, placing her hand on top of his. Immediately the visions started.

"You were an only child… your father was a merchant… your parents died when soldiers attacked their store. You lived on the street as a cutpurse until you preyed on the wrong man and killed him by accident." Duncan's eyes were growing wider and wider as she spoke. "A tall woman warden conscripted you. I see you now in a very dark place. You are fighting horrible monsters with… is that King Maric?"

Duncan looked at her in amazement. "So tell me, am I trustworthy?"

She smiled at him. "Most trustworthy. I would trust you with my life."

Duncan thought for a moment. Her gift, if known by nobles of the Landsmeet, could cause her many problems. She could be a great advisor, but if others knew about her abilities she could be the target for assassination by her ally's enemies.

"Delia, this is what I propose. From now until we arrive at Ostagar we will train each day as soon as we wake. You and I will work on proper dagger fighting forms, and then you will spar, not only with me but with Aeden as well. You need to learn how to use your daggers as well as how to move quickly and effortlessly. Having both of us to work with will give you experience against dual handed fighters as well as shielded warriors. I expect that you will work hard and not complain about the difficulty you will face. As soon as we arrive at Ostagar you will also spar against other wardens with other fighting styles. We will evaluate your progress then, and if I feel that you have progressed far enough I will give you a chance to join the Grey Wardens. You must know, however, that the tasks that you must perform in order to participate in the Joining Ritual could kill you. It is not an easy process."

Delia smiled sadly and nodded. "I would rather die attempting to join the Grey Wardens than to return to my father. The wardens are my only chance at freedom. I will not disappoint you."

Duncan sighed. "Very well, Delia. You are now an official Grey Warden recruit. Maker watch over you."

"Maker watch over us all, Duncan," she replied with a grin.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Blades

The following morning Delia got up quickly and went outside. She started to stretch the muscles in her legs and arms, and before long Duncan joined her. He was impressed that she was outside and ready to start her lessons and started by showing her basic movements. Dual daggers would be her weapon of choice, as she could use her intellect to outwit her opponents. Delia watched her mentor's movements closely, and she tried to copy every nuance. Duncan would stop every once in a while to watch her perform the forms alone. He would correct her movements, being exceedingly picky about her precision.

After working only on form for an hour, he told her that it was time to spar. He handed her some dulled daggers, took a pair for himself and told her to attack him. She wasn't sure how to start, so she shrugged her shoulders, screamed with what she thought was a primal scream and jumped onto his back, holding him around the neck. Duncan leaned forward and summarily dumped her to the ground, laughing so hard that he almost fell beside her. She looked at him angrily, then pulled herself up and brushed the dust off her breeches.

"Well, why don't you explain what you want me to do then? You can't expect me to know this, do you?" Delia huffed at him.

Duncan laughed loudly. "Do you really think that a darkspawn will allow you to jump on its back? Let's try this again, but this time picture me as the ugliest thing you can imagine and that I am coming after you with very sharp blades."

They squared off. As she readied herself for her next attempt, she noticed Aeden leaning against the wall of the tavern, watching them. With an exasperated harrumph, she launched herself toward Duncan again. This time she ran straight into his chest, only to bounce off him and land on her backside on the ground yet again. Aeden nearly fell over with his laughter. Duncan reached out to her and assisted her to her feet.

"Aeden, I think she needs to actually see how one spars. Care to assist me?"

"By all means, Duncan. My _lady_, why don't you take a seat for a moment?" He gave her an exaggerated bow, and then picked up the sparring sword and shield. "Watch and learn," he said, as he started to circle around Duncan.

The two more seasoned warriors watched each other as they circled. Soon Aeden made a move, his sword blocked deftly by Duncan as he seemingly danced on his feet. Their blades flashed and clanged as they hit each other. As Aeden suddenly lunged for what he thought was an opening, Duncan shifted his stance and instead deftly knocked the sword out of Aeden's hands.

Delia watched Duncan's movements with interest. She noticed how graceful he was, compared to Aeden's forceful approach. She watched with interest how he used the various battle stances he had worked earlier to teach her.

"Alright, enough Aeden. Delia, come back here and try again."

Delia stood up, took up her practice daggers and moved toward Duncan. "_He almost moved like a cat, stalking a mouse,"_ she thought to herself. "_Maybe I should think of this as more of a dance than a battle."_

She started to circle him, just as she had seen Aeden do. Duncan followed suit, a grin appearing on his bearded face. She noticed that he was holding his left arm a little bit too low, and she struck. Duncan laughed – she had actually made a hit on his torso! They started to strike their blades against each other's, and she started to feel a sort of rhythm to the battle. She could tell that Duncan was being easy on her, but she was starting to feel a little more confident. "_Maybe I could surprise him if I did something he would never expect?"_ She suddenly ducked down, sweeping her right leg around and catching his legs behind the knees. He went down hard, and quickly she was back on her feet offering her hand to help him stand.

"Bravo! I didn't know you had it in you! Very nice move there, my dear. That is the kind of thinking that will benefit you in a real battle. When you fight as a rogue, those kinds of unexpected moves are your best friend." He looked at Aeden, who was trying hard to not laugh at his leader. "I think we should all get our breakfasts now. We have to see about getting on the road. Nice job, Delia."

Delia was elated. She had earned a compliment for her first workout. The three entered the tavern and sat at a table near the stairs. Nattie saw them come in and went to the kitchen, returning in a few minutes with plated full of fried eggs with large hunks of bread. Jofrey joined them, sitting down next to Duncan and flashing a smile at Delia.

"Nice move there, young lady. Don't count on surprising him again that way! I have to say, though, that it was a pleasure to see Duncan here taken down on his arse! I haven't laughed that hard in years!"

Duncan grinned at his friend. "That's only because you remember my doing the exact same thing to you the first time we sparred. The king's knights sent him to spar against me to prove their superiority over the Grey Wardens. You should have heard the laughter! Ah, good memories, eh Jofrey?"

Jofrey let out a guffaw, his face beaming with amusement. "That was quite a day, wasn't it? You ended up being taken on then by the Knight Commander an' you knocked him nearly out cold! He never doubted a warden ever again, no ser!"

The remainder of breakfast was anything but quiet, with the two men sharing stories and bellowing with laughter. Before long, their bellies were full, and it was time for the warden and his recruits to pack their few belongings. When Delia finished packing and returned downstairs, Nattie was waiting for her.

"Dearie, I heard that you are now one of Duncan's recruits. You be safe now, eh? He's a good man, but being a warden is hard work. If ever you need a break, you just come back here and see your friend, Nattie. We'll give you a chance to be a proper lady again. You always have a home here."

Delia was nearly overwhelmed by Nattie's graciousness. "Thank you so very much, Nattie. I will remember that, and I am certain that I will visit again. Please be sure to tell Maric how much I will miss him as well. He is a very sweet child."

The two women hugged, and Delia headed toward the men. Shaking hands with Jofrey, she joined Duncan, Aeden and Dusty as they said their goodbyes and started down the road.

The party walked for several hours, only stopping for lunch when their hunger out ruled their heads. After eating, they walked for several more hours, passing by some travelers on the road. Duncan would always greet the travelers, earning smiles from the people. Grey Wardens were people of legend, and it didn't seem like there was a person in Fereldan that didn't recognize the gryphon emblazoned on Duncan's tabard.

Late in the afternoon, Duncan decided that it was time to make camp. He asked Aeden and Delia to collect some firewood while he formed a fire pit. Soon they had a warm fire blazing, and the three started to set up their tents. Duncan and Aeden finished their tents quickly, but Delia struggled. She had never even seen a tent before, so Duncan assisted her. Soon the tents were up, logs were found to sit on around the fire, and Aeden had killed a pheasant. While he plucked the bird, Duncan arranged a spit. They cooked the bird over the fire and had a pleasant meal.

Delia was exhausted. It had been a long day, and she wasn't used to exerting herself this much. She sat on the ground and leaned back against the log and couldn't help but think over the events of the last few days. She couldn't believe that her life had changed so much, so quickly. It wasn't that long before that she was a student, happily studying history and language. She had friends and a brother who was dearer to her than life itself. Now, what did she have? She had no family, no friends, and she was expecting to die during her Joining. Silent tears fell down her cheeks. She missed Dairren; she missed her mother. She missed Justine and the way that she would try to look cross when she and Dairren were laughing too much. She missed Salvatore and the way his warmth would make school feel like home. Home… she didn't have a home anymore. Home was always where Dairren was, whether that was school, Highever or her father's manor.

Dusty stood up. He noticed Delia's tears, and he walked over to her. In a way that only a dog could manage it, he licked her face, cleaning away her tears, and then he pushed his head into her chest. She put her arms around the dog, hugging him close to her. Duncan walked over to her and suggested that she get some sleep, so she said goodnight to him and Aeden and went into her tent, crawling into her bedroll without even undressing.

Dusty looked at Aeden and cocked his head, whining softly. "Yes, Dusty," Aeden said softly, "I think that Delia could use your company tonight. Go ahead."

The dog walked to Delia's tent and pushed through the flaps. He lay down next to her with a sigh. Delia put her arm over the dog. "I'm glad you're here, Dusty. Thank you." She fell asleep hugging the mabari. Dusty snoozed, keeping himself in that state of in between sleep and wakefulness, making sure that he would be available to the girl whenever she needed a furry friend.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: First Kill

Dawn arrived too quickly for Duncan. _"I am getting too old for life on the road,"_ he thought to himself as he stretched his back. Standing up, he went to the basin of water at the side of his tent and splashed cold water on his face. He dressed and walked out of his tent. His eyes immediately went toward the campfire and the figure on the other side of the fire. Delia was already up and working on her battle stances. Duncan watched her as she moved through the forms, noting what she was doing well and what needed adjustment. Walking briskly toward her, he grinned.

"Good morning, Delia. I see you are already hard at work."

"I promised you that I would work hard. I fully intend to keep my promise." She smiled back at him as she moved into another of the stances.

"That's not bad; just move your left leg a little bit more forward… yes, that's right. You need to be sure that your balance is centered and that you always are aware of all your movement."

Duncan coached her on her stances, not noticing when Aeden exited his tent and walked to his side.

"Time to spar, Delia. Today I want you to make every movement extremely slow. Concentrate on your form as you use your blades."

She nodded, and then began to circle Duncan. They seemed to dance together, her right blade matched with his left, forward movement matched with his backing up, and Delia began to feel how each movement shifted her balance. Duncan was pleased with his student's progress, and soon announced that they should have their breakfast and begin their travel for the day.

It didn't take long for them to eat and pack their camp away. Soon they were walking again. The road took them through an ancient forest, the trees overhead providing a thick canopy. The party had been traveling for several hours when the forest started to feel quiet. It seemed too quiet. Duncan motioned to Aeden and Delia to stay back, and he left the road and went ahead through the thick undergrowth. Dusty growled softly and Aeden told him to quiet.

Suddenly Duncan was fighting about fifty feet ahead of them. Aeden yelled at Delia to stay back as he and Dusty attacked. There were five bandits attacking Duncan. As Aeden ran forward, he was able to decapitate one immediately. The fighting was fierce, and the sound of metal against metal reverberated through the woods.

As Delia watched the fighting, a movement to her right caught her eye. There was another bandit about twenty paces off the road from the fighting, and he was aiming a longbow toward the others. Without thinking, Delia ran toward the archer, and threw herself on his back. As the momentum forced both of their bodies to hurtle toward the ground, she slashed her dagger across his throat. Blood immediately spurted everywhere. She fell onto the archer's back, and quickly pulled herself to her feet.

Looking at her hands, she dropped her daggers and began to shudder involuntarily. _"Oh Maker, I killed a man! There's so much blood. I can't believe I killed a man. Maker help me! I didn't mean to kill him! This can't be real."_ She stood there, trembling and looking at her hands, not even realizing that Duncan and Aeden has finished fighting the others and were looking at her with concern in their eyes.

"Delia? Are you alright my dear?" Duncan slowly walked toward her.

"Wow, did you see how she took that bugger down? That was fantastic!" Aeden was grinning fiendishly.

Delia simply stood there, looking at her hands and shaking. Slowly she looked at Duncan. "I… I… killed… him… Blood… there's so much blood…" Her voice was a trembling whisper; her eyes looked as if she was pleading with Duncan for it to not be true.

"Delia, you must know that this was justified. By your killing that archer, you saved either Aeden or me, or possibly both of us. I am proud of you for taking action. You did well, my dear."

Delia nodded her head sadly. She couldn't stop trembling, and tears started to stream from her eyes. Aeden went to her, picked up her daggers and put his arm around her waist. "Come on, Delia. Let's see about finding a stream to clean ourselves off." He led her down the road, following Duncan. Dusty walked on Delia's other side, every once in a while pushing his head against her hand, hoping for a scratch behind his ears.

They found a stream about a mile down the road. Aeden found a log for Delia to sit on and then he and Duncan silently set up a campfire. They heated some water while they used rope and blankets to create a room for Delia to wash herself in private. When it was ready, the two men gave her time to clean thoroughly while they took her armor to clean for her as they washed themselves and their own armor.

Delia still couldn't stop trembling as she washed the archer's blood from her skin and hair. It didn't seem possible that she could have killed a man. Justified or not, this man's blood was on her hands. She had killed another person. There was no going back to the person she had been, this death changed who she was forever.

She dried her skin and dressed, then combed and braided her hair in to one braid trailing down her back. Then she left her makeshift room and walked to the fire, sitting next to Aeden who was still scrubbing armor.

"Are you alright, Delia?" Aeden asked her with concern in his eyes.

"I just can't believe that I… that I killed a man."

"Your first kill is the hardest. I remember once when I was traveling with my father and we were also beset by bandits. I had my first kill that day. It will get easier, but my father always told me that if you can kill too easily and with no regret you will lose your humanity."

She leaned against his side and put her head on his shoulder. "Thanks, Aeden. Your father was one of the people that I most respected."

"Any time, Delia. We're in this together, and I will always do my best to help you whenever you need me. I promise you that." He turned his head toward her and kissed her forehead.

They sat in silence while he scrubbed away at the armor. Delia hadn't realized that Duncan wasn't even there until he walked back to them from the forest, carrying some rabbits. He sat across from the others and prepared the rabbits to cook.

"I think that we will make camp here for tonight. A little extra rest will be good for all of us. I have some carrots and potatoes in the supplies that will make a nice rabbit stew for our dinner."

Delia suddenly straightened up. "Oh, wait one minute. If we are having stew, you WILL let me cook. I don't think that I can stand one more night of that bland swill that you call food!"

She stood up and walked to her pack. "I have been collecting some herbs along the way, and I guarantee that I can cook something that will actually pass as edible!" Delia pulled various leaves from her pack and brought them back to the cauldron. Duncan brought the carrots and potatoes to her, and she started to clean and prepare the vegetables.

Duncan smiled inwardly. The best thing for her would be to keep her hands busy and to have a purpose. He didn't care if the stew tasted good or bad; if he could get her to refocus and not dwell on the morning's events she would fare much better recovering from the shock of her first kill. It was unfortunate that her first kill was a human. If it were a darkspawn it made killing much easier. Duncan felt sad for Delia. She was a sensitive young lady, and transforming her to a fighter would be more difficult than she wanted to believe.

Delia delighted in her diversion. Cooking was something that was somewhat normal. Even if she was in a camp in the middle of nowhere, she could create something civilized and good. She chopped the carrots into bite sized pieces and placed them in the cauldron, then added cubes of potatoes. Duncan gave her the rabbit meat, which she also cut up and added to the pot. Water was added, covering the contents, and then she stirred in the various herbs gathered along the road.

A few hours later, the stew was bubbling and the smell wafting through the camp was delicious. Aeden couldn't help himself but to take deep breaths of the intoxicating aroma. His stomach was turning in knots from hunger.

"When do we eat? I am so hungry I could eat a bear!" he said, looking over Delia's shoulder at the delicacy over the fire.

"You have to wait a bit more, Aeden. Why don't you play with Dusty? He could use the attention."

"He's just as hungry as I am. You know, if I knew that you could cook, maybe I would have listened more to my mother when she tried to play matchmaker between the two of us!"

"Well, my teacher, Justine, always told me that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach."

"Hmmm, now there's a thought. Maybe she had something there." He put his arms around her. "Puleeeeze! I am so hungry! I think I may pass out from hunger!"

Delia spun around and whipped him with the cloth she was using as a potholder. "Go sit with Duncan and leave me alone!" She smiled at him and pushed him away.

"I am hurt, Delia, that you should deny me sustenance when I know that I shall wither away to nothing!" He put his hands over his heart in mocked pain, and sat down next to Duncan with a pout. Duncan laughed heartily.

It wasn't long before generous portions of stew were passed around. Compared to the meals they had been having, the stew was glorious. By the time they had their fill, there wasn't a speck left in the pot. Aeden volunteered to wash the dishes, and soon they were all sitting around the fire, enjoying idle conversation.

As the stars climbed into the sky, Delia excused herself to go to sleep. She entered her tent and lay on her bedroll. Even though she tried to not think of all her sadness, she missed her brother desperately. She needed to have him there to comfort her, to tell her it would all be alright. Delia kept seeing the archer in her mind. She knew his death was justified, but she hated that it was at her own hand. Yet Delia also knew that there would be many more deaths at her hand if she were able to actually become a Grey Warden. Finally she fell into a fitful slumber, her dreams leaving her feel more lost and alone.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Ostagar

The next few days of travel fell into a routine. Delia would wake and begin her exercises with Duncan joining her to coach. Then she would spar with Duncan or Aeden, followed by breakfast and packing. They would walk for several hours and stop for lunch, then walk several more hours and find a suitable campsite for the night. While Delia and Duncan would assemble the tents and form the camp fire, Aeden and Dusty would hunt for small game. Delia taught the two men how to use the herbs she would collect on the roadside, and dinners were spent conversing amiably.

Delia started to feel almost at home with the two men. Duncan was her new teacher, and she felt as comfortable with him as she ever had felt with Salvatore and Justine. Aeden was almost her brother. They would tease each other mercilessly, making Duncan roll his eyes at their antics. Their routine was comforting, and she found that she was able to put her tragedy out of her mind for longer periods of time. The only time of day she dreaded was when she would lie back on her bedroll and try to fall asleep. It was then that her mind would replay the events from Highever or the fight with the bandits. Once she would finally fall asleep, her dreams were not faring much better. Delia would often wake in the middle of the night, crying as softly as she could so that she wouldn't disturb the others. Sometimes Dusty would hear her and come into her tent. The mabari was comforting to her, and she appreciated the dog's sensitive side.

If it weren't for the nights, Delia found that she could enjoy this new life. It wasn't long before their journey came to an end, however, and one afternoon they found themselves on a hill overlooking Ostagar. The ruins gleamed in the sunlight.

Duncan pointed at the gates of the ruins. "One more hour of walking and we will be there. Once we arrive, we will go to the main Grey Warden tent. Delia, we will wall off a section for you to sleep in. I want you to remain close to me for your protection. Aeden, you will share a section with my Junior Warden and the other two recruits. You will have time to acquaint yourselves with Ostagar, meet some of the wardens, and visit the quartermaster. I also expect you to rest as you will have a busy day tomorrow."

As they walked the path leading downhill towards Ostagar, Delia suddenly started to feel insecure. She would be one of a handful of women at the camp, and she suddenly couldn't get Nehairel out of her mind. Would the soldiers be gentlemen or would she have to fend them off by herself? Dairren was no longer there to champion her, and although she felt much closer to Aeden she doubted if he would care about her honor. She also questioned if she was ready to join the wardens. Was she prepared physically? Mentally? It all suddenly was hitting her, and she felt very unworthy.

Finally they approached the gates. There were a few soldiers standing there with one man who wore gilded armor. His hair was flaxen and worn with two narrow braids from his forehead encircling his head and joined in the back. When he saw them approach, his eyes lit up with recognition and he walked toward the group.

"Ho there, Duncan!" The man in the golden armor approached.

Duncan answered, "King Caillen! I didn't expect…"

"A royal welcome? I was beginning to think you would miss all the fun."

Delia looked around at the ruins surrounding her. Duncan and Aeden spoke to the king and explained the events at Highever. Delia couldn't bring herself to listen as they told the tale.

The king reached to her and gently took her hand. "Lady Delia, are you alright? I am so sorry for your family tragedy. I will personally see to your safe return to West Hill as soon as the battle here is over."

"Oh, your Majesty, please, no. I am working most diligently to become a Grey Warden."

"What? Duncan are you mad? This is a lady, not a warrior. To recruit her would be a grave disservice."

Duncan smiled at Delia. "Your Majesty, this is her choice, not mine. Delia begged me to consider her, and I have never seen anyone work as diligently toward that goal. I believe that she has earned the right to take part in the Joining."

Caillen scowled and looked at Delia, carefully appraising her. "My dear, are you certain that this is what you want? You are born of a noble family, and your future should be secured with a marriage."

"I appreciate your concern, my King, however I have thought a great deal about this course and I do desire to join the wardens. I have been working hard toward this goal, and I am pleased that Duncan has faith in me." She smiled at Duncan.

"Very well then, I suppose the wardens need all the recruits they can amass."

Duncan looked at the king. "By the way, your Majesty, your uncle sends his regards and reminds you that he can send his troops in three days."

"He merely wants some of the glory for himself. We've already won three battles, and I'm not sure that this is even a real blight."

Aeden looked at Duncan, then at the king. "You sound very confident, your Majesty."

Caillen chuckled. "Some would say over confident. There are plenty of darkspawn on the field, but there has been no sign of an archdemon. Unfortunately I must take my leave of you. Logain is expecting me in his tent, no doubt to bore me with more of his battle strategies. I need to get there before he sends a search party for me. Farewell, Grey Wardens." With that the king and his knights turned around and walked across a long bridge toward the center of Ostagar.

"What the king says is true. They have won several battles." Duncan looked concerned.

Aeden scowled. "Yet you don't sound very reassured."

"Despite their victories the darkspawn horde grows larger, but I cannot have the King act on my feeling."

"What would you have him do, Duncan?" Delia asked.

"Wait for reinforcements. Our numbers in Fereldan are too few. We've requested the assistance of wardens from Orlais, but they have not arrived as of yet. For now, we must prepare for the coming battle, and as such we should arrange for your Joining as soon as possible."

"What do you need us to do, Duncan?" Aeden looked at him questioningly. "Can we get a hot meal before we get to work?"

Laughing, Duncan replied, "You have time to explore the ruins and find a meal. There is a quartermaster, so you may wish to visit him to see what supplies he has available. There are two other recruits that I would like you to locate, Aeden. As for you, Delia, when you have seen enough of the ruins and you both have eaten your fill, I would like for you to locate my Junior Warden, Alistair. He will assist me in determining if you are ready to be part of the Joining. When you are both finished, meet me at the Grey Warden tent which is located next to the King's tent just across this bridge to your left. Dusty may come with me, if he would like."

A soft woof told them that Dusty would like that.

"Alright then, come with me Dusty. We'll get some food for ourselves while our friends here have a look about." Duncan and Dusty walked across the bridge together, leaving Aeden and Delia watching.

"No offense, Delia, but would you mind very much if I went off by myself for a bit? I'd like to have a chance to clear my mind alone."

"That's fine, Aeden. I will see you later then, at the tent."

Aeden bowed slightly to her, as nobles would, and left her there. She noticed some wildflowers growing nearby, so she decided to look for some herbs before she crossed the bridge to the other side. It was quiet on this side of the bridge, with very few soldiers walking about. She had to admit to herself that it was kind of nice to not hear the men's voices in her ears. There were actually birds singing and the area seemed safe and secure.

Before very long Delia decided to cross the bridge to the camp side. The soldiers assigned to the bridge were immersed in their work and barely noticed her. When she arrived at the far side, one knight said hello and asked if she needed help with anything.

"I will have to find a Grey Warden named Alistair. Do you have any idea where I might find him?"

"I thought I saw him earlier walking toward the northeast part of the ruins. He's easy enough to see, tall fellow with blond hair. Usually is making a fool of himself somehow," he replied with a laugh. "He's a nice chap. Are you a recruit?"

"Yes, I hope that Duncan will think I am ready. I've been in training with him, hoping that I will be worthy of joining the wardens."

"Ah, well best o' luck to you then. The wardens are good sorts. Haven't met one yet that I didn't like. Maker watch over you, recruit."

Delia smiled at him. "Maker watch over us all. Thank you, ser."

The ruins were bustling with activity. The Chantry mothers were singing the Chant of Light and blessing soldier after soldier. Mages were busy performing some kind of protective spells that the Templars watched carefully. They turned Delia away from the circle, telling her that the mages needed to keep their full concentration on their current task. There were ash warriors painting their mabari who seemed to watch Delia with distrust. At one end of the ruin, a darkspawn lesson was taking place. The leader of the class was showing young soldiers a darkspawn corpse and discussing battle strategies.

Then she came across a man in a cage. He was dressed in nothing but smallclothes and was terribly thin.

"Excuse me, miss, but you look like you might have some kindness in you. All I want is some food and water. They haven't fed me since they locked me up and I am starving."

"Why would I help you?"

"Because I have something that you may be able to use. Those mages have a chest with magical things. I got one of them mages drunk and stole their key to it. I figured I'd go back later, but the guards caught me sneaking around. That's why they think I was deserting. I'd trade the key to you gladly for some food and water. Just ask my guard for his. He had some dinner left over. I saw him put it into his coat."

"I'll see what I can do." Delia walked to the guard and introduced herself as a warden recruit.

"You lucky wardens. You get to go into battle while I'm stuck here guarding this here deserter."

"I had a talk with him actually. He claims he hasn't been given any food or water."

"Did he now? Since nobody sends me nothing to feed him with, the only way he'll get that is if I give him mine!"

"So you miss one meal – this man could be hanged soon."

"All right, all right. I guess the man could stand to have one meal in his belly. Don't know why you care. I had nothing to do with it though. If anyone asks why he's burping I'm gonna say it was you, just so you know."

She thanked the soldier and walked back to the prisoner, handing him the food and water.

"Much obliged! May Andraste herself rain blessings upon you! As I mentioned, here's the key. Use it in good health, hey?"

As Delia walked away, the prisoner ate his food. He watched her as she disappeared and thought to himself, _"Interesting what sorts this blight is bringing together. Never thought I would see someone like her as a warden. Just can't tell what people'll do, eh?"_


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Decisions, Decisions

Delia found the quartermaster and bartered for some healing potions and injury kits while she sold some of the objects found along the road. Across from the quartermaster she noticed the mage's chest that the prisoner told her about. Deciding it wouldn't be a good idea to open it in daylight, she planned to take a walk in the evening. Just then she heard a catcall behind her. She spun around to see a handsome, tall, dark haired young man leaning against a tree.

"The views are gettin' better all the time here," he said to her, smiling broadly. "The name's Daveth. I'm going to be a Grey Warden, so you can trust me to help you with whatever you need. Your desire is my command."

A woman soldier walked past him and huffed in disgust. "Daveth, you use that exact same line on every woman in camp. Get it through your thick skull that there isn't a woman in all of Ferelden that would trust you with anything. If I were you, miss, I would run as far away from this one as you can."

Delia laughed. "Thanks for the warning. Unfortunately for me, I'm also a Grey Warden recruit, so I guess that I will have to learn to live with this one. I must warn you, Daveth, I have been trained personally by Duncan and am under his personal protection, so keep your distance. Think of me as your long lost sister and I'm sure we'll get along well enough."

Daveth looked a bit deflated. "Ah, believe me when I say that there is no possibility that any sister o' mine could look as nice as you. But I suppose it'll have to do for me. At least I can follow your lead and have something nice to watch!"

"You better get moving there, Daveth." An older knight walked up to them. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Ser Jory, knight of Redcliff and another warden recruit."

"My name is Delia. It is a pleasure to meet you, ser knight."

"Daveth, the other recruit, a lad named Aeden, just found me and said that Duncan would like us at the warden fire. Come along with me."

The two men said their goodbyes to Delia, and she decided it was time to search for the Junior Warden. As she walked toward the northeast corner of the ruins where the soldier from the bridge had directed her, she heard two men arguing. Walking up a ramp, she saw a dark haired mage arguing with a blond haired warrior.

"And here I thought we were getting along so well. I was going to name one of my children after you; the _grumpy_ one," the warrior teased the mage.

"Enough! I'll speak to the woman if I must! Get out of my way, fool." The mage abruptly pushed the warrior aside and stormed off.

The warrior looked at Delia and grinned. "You know, one good thing about the blight is how it brings people together."

Delia was speechless. The man in front of her was handsome, and the way he smiled at her made her stomach flutter! She suddenly realized he said something to her and so she stammered, "Sorry, what?"

"Oh, nothing, just trying to find a bright side to all of this. Wait, we haven't met have we? I don't suppose you happen to be another mage?"

He had a lopsided smile that made her heart skip. She grinned at him and replied, "Don't worry, I'm no mage. I can honestly say I've been tested for it and failed every time."

"Good, less being yelled at for me then, although the day is still young. My name is Alistair, and I am the Junior Grey Warden. May I help you with anything? You seem to be lost."

"I was looking for you, actually. My name is Delia, and I am one of Duncan's new recruits. He asked me to find you have you return with me to the camp fire."

Alistair looked puzzled. "Another recruit? I knew he recruited a man from Highever; where do you hail from and how did he find you?"

"It's a long story, he found me in Highever as well, but I need to prove myself before he will allow me to participate in the Joining. Duncan wants you to help him test me."

"Well, it must be an interesting story, Delia. I look forward to hearing it when we have a chance." He looked at her and tried to size her up as a fighter. She didn't look like a seasoned warrior by any means, and he couldn't understand how Duncan could have recruited someone who looked as fragile as this woman. "Anyhow, whenever you are ready, I suppose we should head back to Duncan."

"That argument, with the mage, what was that all about?"

"Ah, well the Circle is here at the King's request and the Chantry doesn't like that one bit. They just love letting the mages know just how unwelcome they are. Which puts me in a bit of an awkward position. I was once a Templar."

Delia felt her throat constrict. "_This handsome man is part of the Chantry? Oh, the Maker can't be that cruel, can he?"_ she thought to herself. Quietly she answered Alistair, "That would be awkward."

"I'm sure the Reverend Mother meant it as an insult, sending me as the messenger, and the mage picked right up on that. I would have never agreed to deliver it, but Duncan says we're all to cooperate and get along. Apparently they didn't get the same speech." He grinned at her again. _"Pretty girl; I hope he doesn't really intend for her to go through the Joining. It would be sad if she didn't make it."_ His eyes suddenly went sad and his grin faded.

Delia noticed the gleam leave his eyes and wondered what it meant. "I look forward to traveling with you, Alistair," she said quietly.

"You do?" he answered in surprise. Huh, that's a switch." His hand swept through his hair in what seemed to be a nervous gesture. "If you have any questions, ask away. Otherwise, lead on!"

The two walked toward the Grey Warden tent. Delia found herself to be self-conscious around the young warden.

"So, Alistair, tell me a little about yourself. How did you become a Grey Warden?"

"Well, as I said, I was training to become a Templar when Duncan recruited me about six months ago. The Chantry raised me and becoming a Templar was a decision made _for_ me a long time ago. Duncan could see that I wasn't happy and figured that my training against mages could double for fighting darkspawn. Now here I stand before you, a proud Grey Warden. The Grand Cleric would never have let me go if Duncan hadn't forced the issue. I'll always be grateful to him."

"You speak fondly of him."

"I spent years in that Chantry hopelessly resigned to my fate. Duncan was the first person who cared what I wanted. He risked a lot of trouble with the Grand Cleric to help me."

"You didn't want to join the Chantry?" Delia looked at him questioningly.

"It just wasn't for me. Oh, I believe in the Maker well enough, but I never wanted to devote my life to the Chantry."

Delia inwardly sighed in relief. He wasn't pious after all. "Tell me about Duncan."

"Duncan is the leader of the Grey Wardens in Fereldan which he would say doesn't mean much as there aren't many of us here. Yet. Beyond that he's a good man, a good judge of character. I owe him a lot."

He looked at her. "What about you? What do you think of him?"

She looked at the ground, and her expression went deadly serious. "I owe him as well. He saved me, in a way that is actually similar to how he saved you. If it weren't for Duncan, I would be forced into a life that I really couldn't bear."

Alistair looked at her with sympathy. _"Her story must be horrid, indeed. She looks so sad… I will have to find a way to make her look happy."_

They arrived at the warden camp fire and greeted Duncan.

"Ah, Delia, you found Alistair, did you? Good, I'll assume you are ready to be tested." He looked at Alistair, a slight tinge of annoyance in his eyes. "Assuming, of course, that you are quite finished riling up mages, Alistair?"

Alistair blushed. "What can I say? The Reverend Mother ambushed me. The way she wields guilt they should stick her in the army!"

Duncan raised his eyebrow. "She forced you to sass the mage, did she? We cannot afford to antagonize anyone, Alistair. We don't need to give anyone more ammunition against us."

Alistair glumly looked at the ground. "You're right, Duncan. I apologize."

Duncan scanned his eyes over the four recruits. "Right now, I would ask Jory and Daveth to take this list of supplies to the quartermaster. You must purchase the supplies and bring them to my Second in Command, Jarveth at the main warden camp. It is imperative that they receive these supplies today, so you had best get to work. You'll have to make several trips and I cannot spare any other men to help you."

Jory took the list from Duncan and the two headed toward the quartermaster.

"Now, I need you, Aeden, to spar with Delia so that Alistair and I can formally evaluate her progress. Alistair, Delia never fought before I recruited her, but she has worked diligently and I believe that she has potential."

"She never fought before? You mean she's only trained since Highever? You can't possibly believe that she would be ready to battle darkspawn?"

Delia's face flushed angrily. "Why don't you wait until you have seen me fight before you judge me? I am no warrior, it's true, but I think that I could take you down, _Templar_."

Alistair laughed. "You think you could take me down? Well then, why don't you spar me instead of your regular partner? We'll see if you're actions match your _boldness_."

Now it was Aeden's turn to chuckle. "Yes, Duncan, let Alistair fight her. I'm sure that he will be able to evaluate her skills better that way instead of simply looking."

Duncan's eyes twinkled. He knew what Alistair was in for, as Delia's eyes sparkled mischievously. "Aye, let's see what you can do against Alistair." He handed the two their sparring weapons and stepped aside.

The two circled each other, sizing the other up and waiting for an opening. Alistair attempted the first blow, but Delia deftly avoided him. She allowed her body to instinctually use the fighting forms Duncan taught her, and before long Alistair was sweating and looking frustrated. He was striking his sword all over the place, but she always seemed to dance aside! Then suddenly, as his sword swung around in front of him toward her torso, she dropped to the ground and swung her legs around, catching his legs in back and easily dropping him to the dirt. Before he even realized that he was down, she was sitting on his chest, her practice dagger at his throat.

"Do you yield, Alistair?"

Duncan laughed aloud. It was the very same maneuver she used the first time he sparred with her and had also underestimated her quick thinking. Alistair looked at Duncan with a surprised look on his face, and then looked up into Delia's face. Suddenly he blushed. A woman was sitting on top of him, Maker help him! He threw up his hands.

"I yield, I yield! Get this mad woman off of me!"

Delia stood up, brushed herself off and offered her hand to Alistair. He took her hand and he stood, brushing the dirt off his legs.

Duncan slapped his hand on Alistair's shoulder. "Perhaps, my boy, I should have warned you. Delia may not be powerful, but she is very observant and fast. She's certainly not the person to have in the front of a party as she would easily be overwhelmed, but he can be an asset when it comes to fending off attackers that would try to flank you. Her mind is quick and her feet are nimble. I actually think that she would be very good at stealth and will teach her that in time."

Delia looked at Alistair with a mischievous grin. "I hope I didn't _hurt_ you, oh mighty Templar."

Alistair was embarrassed. "No, I'm fine, thank you for your _concern_."

"All right, you two shake hands and put this behind you. I'm interested in your opinions, Alistair and Aeden. Aeden, you have seen her progress. Do you think she has achieved enough to take part in the Joining?"

Aeden grinned at Delia. "I know that she saved us from the bandit on the road. She's one of the most intelligent people I have met, and she definitely uses her intellect to her advantage. I believe she has proven her abilities."

"And you, Alistair? You never saw her fight before and have no preconceived ideas. What is your opinion?"

Alistair looked directly at Duncan. "I would have to say that she has great potential. There is still a lot of work to be done for her to be a polished fighter. For my part, I will not underestimate her a second time." With that, he looked at Delia and gave her a quick wink.

Delia blushed. Aeden noticed the quick exchange and was suddenly unnerved. What was going on between Delia and the warden? He wasn't sure if he really wanted to know.

"Well, Delia, I guess that settles it then. Tomorrow you will join the other recruits in the preparatory tasks. You will take part in the Joining." Duncan looked at her with a warm, sad smile. He was proud of her, but silently prayed to the Maker that she would survive.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: The Wilds

That evening Duncan and Alistair joined the group of recruits for dinner around the camp fire. As they ate their meal, Duncan took the opportunity to describe their task for the following morning.

"Tomorrow after you have eaten breakfast, the five of you will be going into the Korcari Wilds to perform two tasks. The first is to obtain vials of darkspawn blood. You need one for each recruit."

Aeden's eyes narrowed. "What do we need darkspawn blood for?"

Duncan raised an eyebrow. "For the Joining itself. I'll explain more when you return."

"And what's the second task?" asked Jory.

"There was once a Grey Warden archive in the Wilds, abandoned long ago when we could no longer afford to sustain such remote outposts. It has recently come to our attention that some scrolls have been left behind, magically sealed to protect them. Alistair, I want you to retrieve these scrolls if you can."

"What kind of scrolls are these?" Alistair questioned.

"Old treaties, if you're curious. They were once considered merely formalities. With so many forgetting their commitments to us, I suspect it would be a good idea to have something to remind them with."

Alistair nodded. "Find the archive and four vials of blood. Got it."

Duncan looked at him as if he were a proud father. "Watch after your charges, Alistair. Return quickly and safely."

"We will."

"Then may the Maker watch over your path. I will see you when you return. Right now I think that you should each get a good night's sleep."

The recruits retired for the night in the tent. It was a bit strange for Delia to be in a tent with all the men, even though her section was separated by the hanging sheets. The men were teasing each other as they readied for sleep. Of course, Daveth was trying to convince the other men that he was _especially __attractive_ to women.

Aeden threw a glove at him. "We all saw how you went about trying to get the attention of every woman in the camp! Maker's breath, but you were a one man destruction team when it came to the reputation of the wardens!"

Jory laughed. "Aye, I'm glad I already have my wife waiting for me. After the way you preened about camp I would be surprised if any warden could have any sort of conversation with any woman within twenty miles of here!"

"Yeah, you both are just jealous." He raised his head toward the sheet separating them from Delia. "Delia likes me, don't you sweetie? I know you can't resist me." He grinned luridly.

Delia laughed loudly. "You, Daveth? You haven't a clue as to how to treat a woman. Too bad too. You're nice enough looking, but your mouth gets in your way."

He put his hand over his heart and looked wounded. "Oh, my lady, you hurt me! I can't tell you how your words 'ave cut me to the quick!"

The three men were laughing until Alistair cut them off. "All right, all right. We need to get an early start tomorrow, so let's get to sleep. Aeden, maybe your mabari should keep watch over Delia to keep _Mr. Wonderful_ over here from _sleepwalking_ her way."

Dusty barked in agreement, walked to the sheet between the spaces and lay down. He then pointedly looked at Daveth and growled a warning.

"Don't look at me, beastie, I won't do anything unless she invites me, I promise."

"Don't hold your breath, Daveth. You would have to beg me for years if you were the last man in Ferelden. Good night, _boys_."

All the recruits chuckled as they said their goodnights, and then settled into their bedrolls. Delia tried to sleep, but couldn't stop thinking about her losses. Soon the tent was filled with the sound of muffled snores, and she found the sound strangely soothing. She was lulled into sleep by the noise of the men, and luck would have it she had no bad dreams.

When the sun rose the next morning, Delia put on her armor and went outside to begin her practice routine. Just because they had a mission didn't mean that she would stop working. Duncan joined her before the others woke up.

"Delia, I'm surprised to see you out here. I thought you would try to get some extra sleep before going out to the Wilds."

"I promised I would work hard, Duncan. I never will let you down on that promise. If anything, I'm worried about today's mission and I want to be certain that I am as prepared as I can be."

"You will be fine, my dear. You have proven your worth tenfold, and I have every faith that where you still have weaknesses you will continue growing as a fighter. Believe in yourself."

Alistair and the other recruits woke and soon they were at the camp fire. Aeden and Jory went to the mess tent to get food for the group and then they enjoyed breakfast over easy conversation. As soon as they finished, Duncan wished them well and sent them to the Wilds, keeping Dusty with him at camp.

The guard at the gate warned the group that even though they were Grey Wardens to be very careful. The Korcari Wilds were a very dangerous place, and they were reminded to take nothing for granted. It felt ominous watching the heavy gate close behind them. Delia was nervous. She had no idea what to expect and had never seen a live darkspawn.

As they walked along the path, they found the corpse of an adventurer. According to a note in his pocket, he was trying to bring the Chant of Light to the Chasind folk who lived in the Wilds. The reason why he died was quickly evident, as a pack of wolves came from seemingly nowhere. The men fought valiantly against the beasts, and Delia stayed back, keeping her eyes out for anything unexpected. Suddenly she noticed a wolf coming out of the woods behind Alistair. She screamed a warning and threw herself on the wolf, stabbing both daggers into its chest. She fell to the ground on top of the now dead animal, but before she could get to her feet another, larger wolf jumped onto her back and started to tear through her leather armor and into her back.

Her screams of agony made Alistair spin around, and he swung his blade with all his might at the pack leader. The animal was decapitated, and Alistair rushed to Delia's side. He pushed the carcass off of her back and yelled at Aeden to get healing poultices from his pack. Delia was going into shock, and she was losing consciousness.

Alistair packed the poultices into the wound and bandaged it as well as he could. "We need to get her back to camp immediately. She needs healing or she'll die!" He gently rolled her over and picked her up. Aeden collected her blades as well as Alistair's sword, and the four men rushed back to Ostagar. Alistair ignored the looks from the soldiers as they passed their camp fires and went straight to her cot in the warden tent. He carefully placed her on the cot with her back up. As he set to work to clean the wound, he sent Daveth and Jory to find Duncan and a healing mage. Aeden retrieved hot water and fresh poultices and bandages.

Alistair carefully removed her armor, and realized that he needed to cut off her tunic in order to get the wound cleaned properly. "_Maker forgive me. I'm only doing this for her sake. Please save her."_ Carefully he cut the tunic and pushed it to her sides. Aeden brought a basin of water in and handed clean cloth to Alistair. Carefully he cleaned the wound, but what he discovered in the process disturbed him more than the wolf's bites. There were scars on her back. Someone had whipped this girl and hadn't had the wounds healed by a healer. The lines crisscrossed her lower back. Tears formed in his eyes. He thought he understood now what she meant that they had somewhat similar backgrounds, but Maker's breath he never had that kind of brutality committed to him!

Duncan hurried in, followed by an elderly mage. She smiled at Alistair.

"You have done a good job so far, warden. Now it is time for me to take over," she spoke warmly.

"Will she be alright, Healer?" He looked lost, as if he would never recover himself.

"I will do everything in my power. Now, you best be going young man. Come back later and check on her. I will not leave her side."

Duncan brought Alistair and Aeden to the camp fire where Daveth and Jory were waiting. "The four of you must complete your mission without Delia. She will not be a part of your Joining Ritual; however we will have one for her after the battle once she has had time to recover from this attack. Right now you four must concentrate on the task at hand. I promise you that the mage, Wynne, is the best healer I have known, and she and I will watch over Delia as if she were our own daughter. Be extra careful out there and come back quickly and safely."

The men nodded and headed back into the wilds. Duncan sadly watched them go, and wearily sat in front of the fire. Dusty sat next to him, looked him in the eye and whined.

"Dusty, sometimes I think that the mabari are far more intelligent than any human. Do you think that I did the wrong thing sending her out with the others? Do you think she was ready?"

The mabari gave a short bark of agreement.

"I don't know, my friend. Maybe I rushed her. Maybe I allowed her enthusiasm as well as her desperation to sway my sense. All I can do now is pray that the Maker will take pity on her."

Wynne worked on her charge very carefully. Knitting together bites was always a challenge, and she was horrified when she noticed the old scars. This girl would be a challenge indeed! Carefully she weaved her magic, sending sutures of blue white energy through the edges of the wound. When she had the wolf bite healing in a way she deemed suitable, Wynne tackled the old scars. She couldn't rid the girl of them completely, but at least they would only be a shadow of what they were. _"At least she will come out of this a little bit better for the wear."_

Slowly over the course of the day, the mage worked her magic. Midday, Delia began to waken.

"Well, welcome back, dear. My name is Wynne, and I am here to heal you."

Delia's throat was dry, and she could barely speak. "What of the others? Are they alright? Did they survive the wolves?"

"Yes they did. Alistair carried you back and started your healing. They have been sent back into the Wilds to complete your mission. Let's see how you fare if we roll you over and sit you up. You should be healed enough at this point."

Wynne carefully helped her as she moved her aching body to a sitting position. Delia's head was propped up on pillows, and although she was sore, the skin had healed over.

"You will need a day or so to fully recover, but soon you will be right as rain. Do you feel up to speaking to Duncan? He is waiting outside."

Delia sadly nodded. "May I have some water first?"

"Of course." Wynne poured a glass of water and handed it to her. "Let me get Duncan. I will leave you with him for a little while so that I can get a late lunch. I will be back soon." She smiled warmly at Delia and then walked out.

Duncan was pacing in front of the fire and walked to Wynne's side as soon as he saw her.

"How is she, Wynne?"

Wynne was taken aback by the concern in his eyes. She had known Duncan for many years, and he was not someone who worried excessively. Warriors knew that soldiers get injured or killed every day. They can't afford to be overly sentimental.

"She will be fine, Duncan. Right now she needs rest so that the magic can finish her healing. She's awake, if you'd like to speak to her."

His eyes brightened. "Yes, I'll go in now."

"Good. I'm going to take the opportunity to get some food and check on my apprentices. I will be back soon." She placed her hand on his shoulder. "Don't second guess yourself, Duncan. You have to make tough decisions every day, and sometimes things don't go the way you plan. Delia will be fine."

"Easier said than done, my friend. I believed she was ready for battle, and yet I nearly had her killed. I wonder if I am losing my touch at knowing my soldiers' abilities. Ah, well, what's done is done. We must move forward. I will see you later." With that, he entered the tent, unsure what he would say to his fragile recruit.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: The Joining

Duncan quietly walked into the tent and pushed aside the sheet that was Delia's wall. He smiled at her and pulled a stool to her side.

"How are you feeling, my dear?" He took her hand in his gently.

"Weak, but alive. I'm sorry, Duncan." Tears formed in her eyes.

"What do you have to be sorry for? You did nothing wrong and actually saved Alistair from the wolf you took down. You would have been fine had the pack leader not attacked."

Her eyes were downcast. "I failed my mission. I have not earned the right to be a Grey Warden. What will you do with me now? Must I return to West Hill?"

Duncan chuckled softly. "Absolutely not. You are still my recruit. As I said, you saved Alistair from the same injury that you have. All this does to you is cause you pain and give you a later Joining day. You must be in top shape to take part in the ceremony, but you _will_ be a Grey Warden. You will have your own Joining after the battle. In the meantime, you must rest."

Delia looked relieved. "Thank you, Duncan. I appreciate your faith in me. I will continue to work hard. Have the others returned? How long have they been gone? I've lost track of what time of day it is."

"They have not returned yet, however I expect that they will be here soon. It is midafternoon."

Delia swallowed hard. "Will they take their Joining today?"

"Yes, as soon as we can prepare for it."

The sound of clanking armor was growing closer to the tent. It stopped at the entrance, and then they heard muffled voices.

"It's safe, _my boys._ Why don't you come in to see me?" Delia called with a hoarse voice and a glint in her eyes.

The men filed in and stood around her in a semi-circle. Ser Jory cleared his throat as if he were the acting leader.

"We just got back, and wanted to know how you are doing. You are looking… well… much better than you were earlier."

Delia laughed. "I'm sure that I do, with my hair clotted in blood and my face full of dirt. Thank you though, really, I appreciate that you all care about me." She looked at the men warmly.

Alistair blushed and pushed his toe into the dirt. "We were thinking that, perhaps, you might like a bath. We could warm water for you and borrow a trough. It wouldn't be the best bath of your life, but it would be better than nothing."

She smiled at him. "That would be wonderful! Thank you all so much."

Duncan stood up. "Alright, if you are going to do this for Delia you should do it now. We need to prepare for your Joining as well. Alistair, bring the blood vials to Warden Elrich. He should be waiting at the mage encampment. Jory, you borrow a trough from the stable. Daveth and Aeden, see if you can borrow a cauldron from the mess tent and get the water heating."

Aeden looked between Alistair and Duncan. "Maybe we should tell Duncan about Morrigan and her mother?"

Alistair cleared his throat as Duncan looked his way. "There was a woman at the tower and her mother had the scrolls. They were both very… odd."

"Were they wilder folk?"

Alistair shook his head. "I don't think so. They may be apostates: mages hiding from the Chantry."

"I know you were once a Templar, Alistair, but Chantry business isn't ours," he replied with a frown. "We have the scrolls; let us gather what we need for Delia's bath and then focus on the Joining."

Alistair led the recruits out of the tent, and they each left to perform their tasks. Duncan looked at his injured recruit and sighed.

"I wish you could be part of the Joining tonight, but you really must wait. At least you can have a peaceful bath, without having to worry about Daveth sneaking in for a peek," he said with a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Yes, well we have to watch out for that one, don't we?" she laughed back.

"I will have Wynne stay with you while we are gone in case you need anything. I would guess that you are feeling much better by now, if I know Wynne's healing."

Delia stretched her arms and rolled her shoulders. "It feels tight, but the pain is gone."

"Good. Tell Wynne about the spots that feel tight and she will correct them."

They continued to chat until the men started to return. First was Jory, carrying a trough. He placed it at one end of Delia's tent section. They heard Aeden and Daveth outside, pouring buckets of water into the cauldron. Alistair finally returned, bringing with him a platter of food.

He smiled shyly at Delia. "I thought you might be hungry, so I stopped by the mess tent."

Delia smiled back at him. "Thank you, Alistair. I didn't realize how hungry I am, so I really appreciate it. By the way, thank you for saving me from the Wilds too. I know you carried me back and put poultices on me. Wynne went on and on about what a good job you did!"

He blushed from ear to ear. Delia thought it was the cutest thing she had ever seen. "No need to thank me. I was glad to work on your back… I mean… um… I was glad to help."

Aeden and Daveth rejoined the others and they told Delia all about what she missed in the Wilds: the darkspawn, the special trail signs, the dead bodies… they didn't leave out a gory detail and actually exaggerated most of it. By the time they were finished, Alistair and Duncan were laughing at them, Jory was shaking his head in disbelief and Delia was feeling a bit nauseated.

"See what fun you missed by letting that beastie getcha?" Daveth teased.

"I think I had the easier time of it from the way you describe your adventures. I hope that your senior wardens are laughing because your adventure was more story than reality!"

"Well, there were darkspawn, signs, dead bodies, and even demons, but I guess it wasn't quite so gory."

Alistair guffawed. "There was no green slime dripping off the ruins. There were no dancing spirits. Unless, of course, those darkspawn hit your heads harder than I thought? Hmmmmm?"

Duncan cleared his throat. "Alright, it's time to check the water. Bring enough buckets in to fill the trough and then refill the buckets and leave them next to it in case she needs them. I'll get Wynne and be right back. Dusty, you stay with Delia and get Aeden if she needs something."

Dusty answered with a soft woof.

The men formed a bucket brigade, and the trough was filled quickly. Wynne arrived with Duncan and turned her attention directly to Delia.

"Men, it's time now. We will see you later, Delia." Duncan seemed disturbed, but Delia couldn't quite figure out why.

The three recruits and the two wardens said good bye to Delia. As they filed past her, she grabbed Aeden's hand.

"Maker watch over you, Aeden. Make sure you see me when you get back. I will be worried about you if you don't."

He smiled at her and squeezed her hand. "I will, Delia. Dusty will stay here with you and take care of you, won't you, boy?"

Dusty spun in a circle and rolled onto his back for a quick belly scratch. Aeden then walked away, a sad smile on his face.

"Now will you tell us what this ritual is about?" Aeden asked as he rejoined the men at the campfire.

Duncan grew serious. "I will not lie; we Grey Wardens pay a heavy price to become what we are. Fate may decree that you pay your price now rather than later."

Aeden's eyebrow rose. "You're saying this ritual can kill us?"

"As could any darkspawn you might face in battle. You would not have been chosen, however, if I did not think you had a chance to survive."

Daveth shrugged his shoulders. "Let's go then. I'm anxious to see this Joining now."

Jory nodded. "I agree. Let's have this done."

Duncan looked at his recruits with a soft sigh. "Then let us begin. Alistair, take them to the old temple."

Delia overheard the group at the campfire. She cried quietly, praying to the Maker that her childhood friend would survive the night. Wynne helped her into the makeshift bath, and she tried to allow the warmth of the water to take away her fears.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Family of a Sort

The sun came up and Delia realized that she was in the warden tent alone. Wynne had gone late in the evening after determining that Delia would be fine by herself. If she needed anything, Dusty would be able to find her in the mage encampment. Delia worried; the men should have returned during the night.

She carefully got up and stretched. Her body felt stiff, but nothing hurt. Her armor was at the quartermaster's shop being repaired, so she decided to perform her exercises wearing her cotton tunic and breeches. At least she could do her routine, even if she couldn't spar.

The men still hadn't returned when she finished her routine, so she called to Dusty and they went to the mess tent for breakfast. Delia filled two bowls with porridge and carried them to a table on the edge of the tent. After she sat, she placed one bowl on the ground for Dusty.

She ate her porridge silently, watching the other wardens as they spoke to each other. Laughter would occasionally burst out of nowhere, and it was obvious that the wardens enjoyed each other's company. Delia was really beginning to worry. Why weren't they back? Did something go wrong?

A man sat across the table from Delia. He was obviously a seasoned warrior, with scars on his face and arms. He looked at her with a warm smile.

"So, you're Delia I suppose? My name is Rydell. I've been a warden with Duncan for more years than I want to admit." He laughed, and his eyes sparkled. Delia felt comfortable with him, and Dusty didn't seem to be uneasy, so she relaxed.

"Yes, I'm Delia. I'm pleased to meet you. Have you seen Duncan this morning?"

"Not yet, but I'd expect he'd be back mid-morning. They had the Joining last night, right? Duncan told me about your injuries. Glad to see you're alright."

"Yes, the Joining was last night, but I thought they would return when they finished."

Rydell could see the worry in her eyes. "Ah, lass, we can't tell you all the secrets of the Joining, but I will tell you that part of the ritual has men passing out. They have to wait until they wake before they return. I'll warn you though, not everyone will necessarily make it. You need to prepare yourself, lass. Being a Grey Warden is tough business. We lose our friends all the time and we learn that you have to appreciate the time you have. We fight hard, but we try to live even harder."

"Rydell, how long have you been a warden?"

"I took my Joining twenty years ago. Duncan recruited me himself. I was one of his first recruits! I'll never forget the day he saved me from my former master."

Delia's eyes widened. "You were a slave?"

His eyes sparkled. "Yes, I had been sold as a slave to the Tevinter. I was working at a rock quarry. My master was horrid. He wouldn't give us water during our work hours, an' many good men died. I was just a boy of sixteen at the time. Got tired of always being hungry, thirsty, and whipped, so I started a rebellion of a sort." He chuckled and shook his head. "The fearlessness of youth, eh? Well, anyways, my master was more than angry. If he'd have got his hands on me, I would 'a been dead in a heartbeat, but Duncan was impressed with me and conscripted me on the spot. Said he had a soft spot in his heart for anyone who was treated bad. I'm proud to say he's had me at his side ever since. Never trusted anyone as much as I trust him."

Delia nodded at the man. "Duncan seems like he enjoys taking in those of us who are mankind's strays of a sort, doesn't he?" she said with a grin.

Her remark made Rydell laugh aloud. "That he does, missy, that he does! We're an odd lot we are, but we care about each other an' that's all that matters. You might not 'a had your Joining, but you are still one of us. You have a huge family of brothers here, an' we watch out for our own. You ever need a question answered or company, just look for any of us. Take this," he handed her a necklace with a silver gryphon charm. "Wear it to prove that you are a recruit. Duncan would have given one to you already, but he didn't have one for you earlier. No one can touch you as long as you are a warden. Be proud and stay strong. We're all behind you."

He winked at her and stood. "Maker watch over you, Delia."

She smiled gratefully at him. "Maker watch over us all, Rydell." She put the necklace around her neck as Rydell walked away. The chain was long enough that it fell well into her shirt. Picking up Dusty's bowl, she whistled for the mabari to follow and put the dirty dishes in the wash bin. The two walked back toward the warden tent. She looked up toward the old temple to see Duncan walking toward her with Alistair and Aeden. Daveth and Jory were nowhere to be seen.

Delia was overjoyed. She ran to Aeden and gave him a huge hug. He was taken aback by her show of affection and laughed at her.

"Easy there, my lady. I don't think I have the strength to survive your brute strength!" He couldn't help but smile at her.

"I have been so worried. I'm glad you're alright. If you would rather though, I can greet you this way instead…" With that, she punched him on the arm.

"Ow! What do I deserve that for?"

"For making me worry so much. I am glad you are fine, though." She smiled at him with pure joy.

Alistair was bothered by their easy affection for each other. Maybe he was missing something about their background, but he thought that they barely knew each other. Although, when he thought about it, they both were recruited in Highever… maybe there was something more to their relationship. Maybe he shouldn't think about it. After all, she was a pretty girl and he was just a bastard child and Aeden was a noble and worth more than ten of himself… and now his mind was babbling at himself. He shook his head to try to clear his mind and looked at his feet.

An elven messenger ran up to Duncan and bowed. "A message for you, Commander, from King Caillen." Duncan read the message and then looked at the elf. "Please tell the king that we will attend." The elf bowed again and ran off toward the king's tent.

"Aeden, you and I have been asked to attend a meeting with King Caillen and Teryn Logain. We need to go as soon as we've eaten breakfast. Shall we all go to the mess tent?"

Delia spoke up. "I've already eaten, as has Dusty, but I would like to join you. I want to hear all about the Joining."

Duncan looked at her sadly. "We will tell you what we can, but there are parts that we are not permitted to explain. You will need to have faith in the parts that we cannot tell."

Delia looked somber. "I assume that Jory and Daveth aren't here because… they didn't make it through the ritual?"

Duncan frowned. "Yes, unfortunately we lost both of them. A pyre is being prepared for them. I am sorry, Delia."

Slowly they walked to the mess tent. Once there, Delia fussed over Aeden, making him sit while she served his breakfast. Aeden was embarrassed by the attention, but when he complained she dismissed it telling him that he had to suffer her attention as penance for making her worry. Duncan joined the other wardens in the tent, talking to them about the upcoming battle. Alistair sat alone, watching Delia and Aeden. He was surprised at the way his stomach was knotting up. He sat there, glumly poking at his food. Normally he would wolf down every crumb on his plate, but this feeling he was having left him with little appetite.

Duncan finished his breakfast, said goodbye to the wardens he sat with, and collected Aeden for their meeting with the king. As they left the tent, Delia stood and walked to Alistair. She sat across from him, and as he stared morosely at his food she put her elbows on the table, propped her chin on her hands and looked at him.

"Copper for your thoughts, Alistair."

He didn't look up. "Why do you want to know?"

Delia scowled at him. "You aren't normally this quiet. Are you alright? I'm worried about you."

"There's no reason for you to worry about me. You have Aeden to fret about," he snapped at her.

"Well, sorry that I care then." She stood up and left in a huff. Alistair watched her leave and sighed. _"There I go again, messing things up before I can even say something nice."_ He slowly stood up, cleared his dishes and walked toward the warden camp fire, kicking every small stone he saw on the way.

Delia was sitting at the fire on the log they used as a bench, scratching lines in the dirt with a stick. She heard Alistair walking toward her, and made a point of not looking at him.

"I'm sorry, Delia." He stood next to her. "I shouldn't have snapped at you. You didn't deserve that."

"I suppose apology accepted." She still wouldn't look at him. He sat next to her on the log and ran his hand through his hair. He didn't know what to say, and he found himself very nervous.

"So… I guess you and Aeden have known each other a long time. You seem to be very… taken… with him."

He said it so carefully and uncomfortably that Delia couldn't help but laugh. "Taken? With Aeden? No, I wouldn't go _that_ far. I've known him since I was a young child. I would say he is more of a substitute brother."

Alistair breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, so you care about him, but you don't _care_… about him."

Delia looked at him with her eyes glittering in amusement. "Alistair, are you actually jealous?"

He looked at her with a pained look of shock. "Me? Jealous? No… I mean, you are very pretty and all, but if you and Aeden… I mean…" He looked so uncomfortable, and he wrung his hands together.

"Alistair, if Aeden and I were supposed to be _together_ it would have happened a long time ago. I think of him as a brother. I worried about him because… I just couldn't lose someone else." She sighed. "Maybe I should explain better. My twin brother and I studied in Antiva, but when my grandfather died we no longer could pay the tuition and were forced to return to Ferelden. The day that my brother and I arrived in Amaranthine, my mother brought us to visit Aeden's family. Aeden's mother was my mother's best friend. My brother was supposed to fight here in Ostagar as Aeden's father's second and Mother and I were to stay in Highever for a few weeks before going home. My mother and Terynna Cousland _wanted_ Aeden and me to fall in love and marry, but the terynna was a firm believer in marrying for love and was very opposed to arranged marriages. My father is a low level Bann, and if I _were_ to marry Aeden it would have been a political coup for my family, although it would be thought poorly for him in the Landsmeet. As it was, Aeden, my brother and I were close friends, but nothing more."

"The night we arrived at Highever, the Couslands were betrayed by Arl Howe, who took the opportunity of the Teryn's troops having left the castle to attack. He killed Aeden's parents, his sister-in-law and nephew, my mother and brother," at this point she released a soft sob, "and all the servants and knights in the castle. No one was left alive. Aeden and I were saved by Duncan, who was there to recruit for the wardens. He took us only because the teryn promised Duncan that Aeden would be his recruit. We escaped through the servants' entrance, leaving Aeden's father bleeding to death with his mother, who promised to fight and buy us time for our escape. Aeden is… all that I have left."

They were both silent for a minute, then Alistair gently took her hand. "What of your father? Surely he must worry about you."

Her eyes filled with a combination of fear and anger. "My father is the last person I ever want to see. He is a tyrant, filled with rage and depravity. I begged Duncan to recruit me so that I would be free of him forever. My father is the reason why I have worked so hard to become a fighter."

Suddenly things made sense to Alistair. This was the reason why this beautiful noble woman worked so diligently to learn her skills with her blades. Duncan was always willing to help those in great need and the warden ranks were filled with people who were grateful to be given a second chance. Then there were the scars on her back. Oh, Maker! Her father must have done that to her!

Very softly, Alistair looked into Delia's eyes and spoke again. "Delia, when I cleaned your wounds I saw your scars. Were they… I mean, did he… did your _father_ do that to you?"

Tears streamed from her eyes. She looked away from Alistair before answering. "I wish you hadn't seen that. Yes, my father did that to me. Thank the Maker for Wynne. When she healed me, she was able to heal many of the scars, so it isn't nearly as horrible looking as it was."

Alistair was incensed. "What kind of man would beat his own child? His daughter? What could you have possibly done that deserved that kind of treatment?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I was five years old and drinking water in the kitchen at the table. My father walked in and set a document down nearby. I knocked over my cup accidentally, and the water spilled onto the corner of the document. I tried to tell him I was sorry, but he grabbed me and dragged me to his footstool. He threw me on top of it, pulled off his belt and whipped me. My brother valiantly tried to pull him off of me, but the only thing he managed was to get the same treatment. That afternoon my mother began the arrangements for my brother and me to study in Antiva. My maternal grandfather paid for our studies. From that time on, we only would see our father for one week during our summer holiday. I never want to see my father again, especially now that Mother isn't there to intercede on my behalf."

Delia wiped her eyes. "So, you see, Alistair, Aeden is truly all I have left. That is why I care about him so much. He is the closest thing I have to family."

Alistair squeezed her hand gently. "You also have me and all the other wardens. I promise that I will always protect you. You will never fear your father again, I swear it."

She squeezed his hand back and looked into his eyes. He looked at her as though he truly meant what he said, and she was more than grateful.

"Thank you, Alistair. That means more to me than you could know." She smiled warmly at him, and then they settled into silence, still holding each other's hand.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: The Battle

Duncan and Aeden walked toward the warden camp fire. Delia and Alistair were sitting in front of the fire, but looked deep in thought and didn't look up. Aeden noticed that they were holding hands, and he found it bothered him.

"Alistair, Delia, we have much to discuss." Duncan seemed frustrated. This wasn't what they would expect from him.

Delia and Alistair stood and walked toward the commander. The four wardens stood in a small circle, with Aeden looking glumly at his feet.

Duncan looked at Alistair. "Alistair, your part in the battle will be to go with Aeden to the Tower of Ishal and ensure the beacon is lit."

Alistair was shocked. "What? I won't be in the battle?"

Duncan sighed. "This is by the king's personal request, Alistair. If the beacon is not lit, Teryn Logain's troops will not know when to charge."

Alistair huffed in disgust. "So he needs two Grey Wardens standing up there holding the torch. Just in case, right?"

Aeden shot him an angry glance. "Stop your whining. We have an important job."

Duncan tried to be patient. "We must do whatever it takes to defeat the darkspawn… exciting or no."

Alistair shrugged his shoulders. "I get it, I get it. Just so you know, if the king ever asks me to put on a dress and dance the Remigold I'm drawing the line. Darkspawn or no."

Delia looked at Alistair and giggled. "I think I'd like to see that!"

He looked back at her and laughed. "For you maybe. But it has to be a _pretty_ dress."

Duncan sighed in frustration, and then looked at Delia with concern. "Delia, I do not want you to remain alone, so I want you to go with Alistair and Aeden. Remember, you two, that she has not fought the darkspawn as of yet, and I expect that you will watch out for her." He paused a moment, then continued. "The tower is on the other side of the gorge from the king's camp, the way we came when we arrived. You'll need to cross the gorge and head through the gate and up to the tower entrance. From the top you'll overlook the entire valley."

Aeden glumly answered. "Sounds easy enough."

"We will signal you when the time is right. Alistair will know what to look for."

Looking up at Duncan, Aeden asked, "Can we join the battle afterwards?"

Duncan shook his head. "Stay with the Teryn's men and guard the tower. If you are needed, we will send word."

Aeden replied, "I know what I have to do."

Duncan looked over the three people in front of him. As much as he hated to leave them on their own, he was needed on the field. "Then I must join the others. From here, you are on your own. Remember that you are both Grey Wardens, and Delia you are a recruit. I expect you to be worthy of your titles."

Alistair suddenly became deadly serious. "Duncan… may the Maker watch over you."

Duncan took a final look at them. "May He watch over us all."

Delia gave Duncan a hug and a kiss on the cheek. He smiled at her in return, then turned his back and walked toward the king's tent.

Aeden looked at Alistair. He shrugged his shoulders. "Let's just get to the tower. It may not be the most glamorous job, but we'd best not dawdle."

The two wardens, the recruit and the mabari started to walk to the tower. As they crossed the bridge over the gorge they found themselves running. Explosions were going off all around them. One of them knocked Delia off her feet. Alistair was by her side quickly, helping her up and making sure she was alright.

As soon as they got to the other side of the gorge, they were met by some soldiers and a mage.

"You… you there… you're Grey Wardens aren't you? The tower has been taken!"

Alistair's eyes opened wide. "What are you talking about, man? Taken how?"

"The darkspawn came up from the lower chambers. They're everywhere! Most of our men are dead!"

Alistair looked at his companions. "Then we have to get to the beacon and light it ourselves!"

The party ran toward the tower and immediately was beset by darkspawn. Delia had never seen anything so horrible looking in her life! Although she was more frightened than she had ever been, she fought as hard as she could, earning smiles and words of encouragement from the wardens. Since Aeden and Alistair were doing the majority of the fighting along with Dusty, Delia took the time to loot the corpses of the darkspawn as well as the various chests and boxes they passed. Luckily for the group, the mage continued to fight alongside them. He was obviously afraid, but he battled furiously and was quite a good healer.

Delia was impressed by him. "I think we should know each other's names if we are fighting together. I am Delia, warden recruit. The mabari is Dusty, and the wardens are Aeden, with the dark hair, and Alistair, with the blond."

The mage smiled at her. "I am very pleased to make your acquaintance, Delia. My name is Mortimer. I have to admit, I never expected to be fighting this way. I'm barely passed my Harrowing and they said that I would be with the backup troops. Guess plans need to change, huh?"

"You are in good company then, Mortimer. As I said, I am a simple recruit. Aeden just had his Joining and Alistair had his only six months ago. There's nothing quite like being thrown into the heat of the battle!"

The group ran up a ramp toward the door of the tower, and as they fought more darkspawn a larger, more powerful darkspawn attacked. Working together, they were able to defeat the Alpha. Delia found some healing and lyrium potions before the party walked to the doors of the tower itself. A feeling of unease swept over them as the doors were opened by Aeden. As they walked in, it was quiet. It seemed to be too quiet, and then Delia saw the reason why. Bodies seemed to be strewn everywhere.

There was a trap just past the lobby. Delia saw it before her companions tripped the wire and was deactivating it when an explosion knocked them off their feet.

"Maker's breath, what was that?" yelled Aeden.

"That's an emissary. He's run behind the pillar. Let's go!" Alistair ran toward the hurlocks, followed by the others.

The party made quick work of the various darkspawn they found. After clearing several rooms they found a crater in the floor. "Well, I guess that's how they got in," remarked Aeden.

They made their way up the stairs to the next floor of the tower. Everywhere they looked there seemed to be more darkspawn to fight.

"Maker's breath! What are these darkspawn doing ahead of the horde? There wasn't supposed to be any resistance here." Alistair was puzzled.

Aeden huffed in response. "You could tell them they're in the wrong place."

Alistair scowled at him. "Right. Because clearly this is all just a misunderstanding. We'll laugh about this later." He looked around at each member of the group. "At any rate, we need to hurry! We need to get to the top of the tower and light the signal fire in time! Teryn Logain will be waiting for the signal!"

Aeden was clearly frustrated at the number of darkspawn that had invaded the tower. "Logain had better be ready to charge as soon as we light the signal. The king is depending on us."

With darkspawn in every room, the group's progress was slow. Mortimer showed himself to have quite a sense of humor. He actually seemed surprised whenever he had a killing blow and would make risqué comments about the darkspawn's lack of equipment. Aeden would usually laugh at his comments while Alistair would look at him as if he had no sense of decorum! Delia would just shake her head. "_Boys will be boys,"_ she thought to herself as she chuckled.

When they finally climbed to the third level, they entered a room with several genlocks and an alpha. Along the walls were caged mabaris, some of whom were already dead.

"That lever over there - it will release the hounds!" Alistair pointed to the left wall. Delia ran quickly to the lever and opened the cages. The mabari immediately joined the fight. For the wardens' group, this was a relief. They had been tiring, and the assistance of the dogs gave them enough of a reprieve to give them a second wind. After the last of the darkspawn was dead, Delia made a point to give each dog some attention and personally thank them. The mabari licked her hand to say that she was welcome to their help.

"It's truly amazing how smart these mabari are. I've never actually seen one before today's battle," Mortimer exclaimed. "They are so fierce, and yet can be so gentle. If I didn't see it for myself, I would be terrified of them."

"You have no mabari at the Circle?" Aeden asked.

"No, we have our books, herbs and potions… we rarely ever even have visitors from the outside."

Delia couldn't help but feel sad for the mages, but didn't have time to think about it before they were again attacked. As Alistair fought a hurlock, Delia crept behind the monster and killed it with a quick backstab. Alistair smiled at her and winked. "I think we work well together!" She returned his smile with a slight blush, then they followed Aeden through the door leading to the top level of the tower.

What they found before them was the most terrifying thing they had seen. A huge ogre was squatting over the corpse of a soldier, feasting upon the man's flesh. When it noticed the arrival of the group it stood, blood trailing down its chin onto its chest. As it roared at them, its spittle flew across the room. Delia had never been this afraid; it felt as though her feet were frozen to the floor! The two wardens ran across the room to attack, followed by the mabari.

The ogre met them blow for blow. Then it noticed the mage and knocked both warriors to the floor to get to him. Poor Mortimer was no match for the brute strength of the ogre, so Delia ran to the beast and delivered a hard hit to its head with the butt of her dagger. The ogre was temporarily stunned, but Mortimer had enough time to move away from the monster as Aeden and Alistair retook their positions at its sides. Their swords swung with all the fury they could muster, and they used their shields to attempt to keep the beast stunned. Delia used her daggers to slice into the ogre's back.

Finally the ogre became weak and stumbled backward. Alistair used the opportunity to leap upon the beast's chest and plunge his sword straight into its heart. As the ogre breathed its last breath, Alistair jumped back to the floor and wiped the sweat from his brow.

He surveyed the room and said, "The beacon is over here. I'm sure we've missed the signal. Let's light it before we're too late!"

Delia ran to the beacon and lit it. As the flames raised high into the sky, they heard a loud cheer erupt from the troops below. Aeden looked out over the battleground and was shocked by what he saw.

"Logain has his troops retreating! He's supposed to be going to help the king!"

Before Alistair could reply they heard a crash. Arrows flew through the air as a mass of darkspawn crowded through the door. Mortimer suffered a fatal hit, straight through his jugular artery. As Alistair tried to reach Delia's side to shield her, an arrow flew into her neck and she began to lose consciousness. The last thing she saw was Alistair as he pulled her close to him behind his shield as the darkspawn swarmed closer.


	16. Chapter 16

_**Sorry for the delay. School just started and between faculty meetings and general malaise I haven't been able to wrap my brain around my story. I hope to update more regularly!**_

Chapter 16: Rescued

Delia's eyes began to open slowly. As the world around her began to come into focus, she realized that she was in a small room lying on a bed with worn but warm blankets tucked around her. Looking around, she found that she was not alone in the room. A dark haired woman, wearing strange and very revealing clothes was placing a book on a shelf. The woman turned around, and noticed that Delia was watching her.

She raised an eyebrow before she spoke. "Ah, your eyes finally open. Mother shall be pleased."

Delia cleared her throat. "Err… yes. Where am I?"

"You are in the Korcari Wilds. I am Morrigan, and I have just bandaged your wounds. You are welcome, by the way. How does your memory fare? Do you remember Mother's rescue?"

Delia frowned. "She rescued me? You mean from the Tower?"

"Mother managed to save you and your friends, though 'twas a close call. What is important is that you live. The man who was to respond to your signal quit the field. The darkspawn won your battle. Those he abandoned were massacred. Your friend… he is not taking it well"

"Neither am I! This is horrible!" Tears came unbidden to her eyes.

Morrigan nodded slightly. "Of that I have no doubt. Your friend has been inconsolable since Mother told him the news. He is outside by the fire. Mother asked to see you when you awoke."

"Were my injuries severe?"

"Yes, but I expect that you shall be fine. The darkspawn did nothing Mother could not heal."

Fear crept into Delia's eyes. "What about Aeden and Alistair? Are they alright?"

Morrigan waved her hand in a dismissive way. "Both are well now, after recovering from their injuries. The dark haired man sits quietly by the fire. The other man, well I suppose it would be unkind to say he is being childish."

Delia's eyes darkened in protection. "Very unkind! Those men were his friends!"

"And you think they would encourage his blubbering? If so, they are not the sort of Grey Wardens the legends note." Morrigan snorted in disgust.

Delia suddenly felt a need to see Alistair. She was very worried about him. Not wanting to argue with the woman who had been taking care of her, she instead started to put on her clothes.

"Thank you for helping me, Morrigan."

Morrigan was flustered. "I… you are welcome, though Mother did most of the work. I am no healer."

"I will go then," Delia said as she started to walk to the door.

"I will stay and make something to eat," was Morrigan's reply as Delia walked out.

The morning air was crisp and clean. Delia noticed Aeden sitting at the fire as Morrigan had described, with Dusty lying at his feet. Looking around, she finally saw Alistair. He was looking out over the lake, his eyes lost in his own thoughts. An older woman stood near him.

"See? Here is your companion. You worry too much, young man," the old woman calmly said, looking at Alistair.

He slowly turned around. Seeing Delia, the look on his face softened.

"You… you're alive! I thought you were dead for sure."

Delia smiled and gently put her hand on his arm. "I'm not, thanks to you and Morrigan's mother."

"This doesn't seem real. If it weren't for Morrigan's mother we would all be dead on top of the tower."

The old woman glowered at him. "Do not talk about me as if I am not present, lad."

Alistair looked at her. "I didn't mean… but what do we call you? You never told us your name."

"Names are pretty but useless. The Chasind folk call me Flemeth. I suppose that will do."

Alistair was surprised. "The Flemeth from legends? Daveth was right – you are the Witch of the Wilds aren't you?"

"And what does that mean? I know a bit of magic, and it has served you well, has it not?" Flemeth's eyes passed back and forth between Alistair and Aeden. "It has always been the Grey Wardens' duty to unite the lands against the Blight. Or did that change when I wasn't looking?"

Aeden stood up with a huff. "The land is hardly united, thanks to Logain."

"That doesn't make any sense. Why would he do it?" He looked at Aeden in disbelief.

Flemeth interjected, "Now that is a good question. Men's hearts hold shadows darker than any tainted creature. Perhaps he believes the Blight is an army he can outmaneuver. Perhaps he does not see that the evil behind it is the true threat."

"The archdemon," Alistair said firmly.

Aeden looked at him. "Then we need to find this archdemon."

"By ourselves? No Grey Warden has ever defeated a Blight without the army of a half-dozen nations at his back. Not to mention I don't know how."

Flemeth looked at him questioningly. "How to kill the archdemon or how to raise an army? It seems to me those are two different questions, hmmm? Have the Wardens no allies these days?"

Alistair looked confused. "I… I don't know. Duncan said that the Grey Wardens of Orlais had been called. And Arl Eamon would never stand for this, surely."

Delia looked at him, startled. "Arl Eamon? The Arl of Redcliffe?"

As Alistair and Aeden continued to talk about possible allies and using the Grey Warden treaties, Delia sank down and sat on a nearby boulder. She hadn't thought that she would have a need to go to Redcliffe. What would be the reaction of the Arl and his family to see her again? If only her father didn't always cause such problems in the Landsmeet, she might feel more comfortable meeting with the nobles of Fereldan. Somehow she would have to deal with the members of the Guerrin family, and overcome the embarrassment her father caused her the last time she saw them.

She sat there, consumed by her thoughts longer than she realized. Dusty had walked over to her and nudged her hand with his nose. Looking up, she noticed Alistair and Aeden had collected their packs and seemed to be ready to leave. Just then, Morrigan joined them, a pack on her back as well. Delia frowned seeing the dark haired mage joining the group. There was something about her that Delia just didn't trust, and her intuition usually didn't prove to be wrong. She decided that she would have to find a reason to touch the woman in order to attempt to discern her true intentions.

Alistair walked over to her and offered his hand to assist her to stand. She smiled at him and accepted his hand. He smiled back.

"Delia, allow me to carry your pack for you, at least for a while. You still seem a bit weak, and you need to recover."

"Thank you, Alistair. I appreciate that very much."

Hearing Aeden say that they should be underway, they said goodbye to Flemeth and followed behind Morrigan. From what she said, the group expected to arrive at a small town named Lothering within a few hours. There they could purchase needed supplies for the longer journey to Redcliffe.

As they walked along, Delia grew concerned about Alistair. He was not his normal, jovial self. The loss of the Wardens and especially Duncan must be more than he could bear. She reached over and took his hand in hers, and looked at his face without saying anything. He looked back at her, and giving her a sad smile he squeezed her hand gently. They walked hand in hand for the rest of the trip.

Just outside the town, the group found themselves accosted by bandits. Aeden tried to convince the criminals to leave, but they foolishly believed they could easily defeat the travelers. Alistair pushed Delia back to avoid the battle, and the Wardens easily defeated the thieves quickly.

As they continued to the outskirts of the town, Alistair cleared his throat.

"Well there it is. Lothering. Pretty as a painting."

Morrigan sneered at him. "So you have finally decided to rejoin us, have you? Falling on your blade in grief seemed like too much trouble, I take it?"

He glared back at her. "Is my being upset so hard to understand? Have you never lost someone important to you? Just what would you do if your mother died?"

She chuckled and answered, "Before or after I stopped laughing?"

"Right. Creepy. Forget I asked."

Delia snapped at her. "Leave him alone, Morrigan."

Nearly whining, Morrigan answered her. "But how can I? He is right there, speaking; eyes wide like those of a brainless calf."

Deciding to ignore the apostate, Alistair took Aeden aside to plan their travels. Delia looked at the mage. She seemed pleased with herself that she had successfully tormented Alistair, and Delia couldn't understand why. It seemed inconceivable that this woman had no compassion for someone who had just lost the people he considered his family! Why did she seem to relish his pain?

Once the Wardens agreed to a plan, the party walked into the center of town and entered the Chantry. After speaking to Ser Bryant, the Templar in charge, they learned that Logain had declared the Grey Wardens traitors and they were responsible for the king's death. Luckily for the Wardens, the Templar did not believe that they would turn on the king and he tried to be as helpful as possible. He was able to provide a few healing potions and pointed them to the Chantry board for some work possibilities.

As they walked through the town, Aeden noticed the tavern. "Why don't we stop for something to eat and then take care of the Chantry requests?"

The group unanimously agreed that food would be good, so they headed to the tavern. Outside the door there was a villager who was looking very unhappy. Aeden, being the unofficial group leader, spoke to the man and learned that Logain left some soldiers behind to arrest any remaining Grey Wardens. The soldiers were causing trouble in the tavern, picking fights with people at random just to bully the townsfolk.

Aeden led the group into the tavern, and immediately the soldiers stood and approached them.

"Well, look what we have here, men. I think we've just been blessed," the commander sneered at the wardens.

Alistair whispered into Delia's ear, "Uh-oh, Logain's men. This can't be good."

"Didn't we spend all morning looking for a man of this very description? And everyone said they hadn't seen him? It seems we were lied to."

A woman walked up behind Aeden. She had red hair and wore the robes of a Chantry Initiate. In a quiet, yet firm manner the woman tried to diffuse the situation.

"Gentlemen, surely there is no need for trouble. These are no doubt simply more poor souls seeking refuge."

"They're more than that. Now stay out of our way, Sister. You protect these traitors; you'll get the same as them."

Aeden stepped in front of the Sister protectively. "Let's talk about this before it gets out of hand."

Sadly she smiled at him. "I doubt they would listen. He blindly follows his master's command."

The commander snapped back. "I am not the blind one! I served at Ostagar where the teryn saved us from the Grey Warden's treachery. I serve him gladly!" He looked at his men. "Enough talk, take the Warden into custody. Kill the sister and anyone else who gets in the way."

The soldiers nodded. "Right, let's make this quick."

Immediately the sister began to fight against the soldiers. Aeden stepped in front of her to protect her with his shield. Morrigan cast a spell to stun the commander as Alistair began to pommel him with his shield. Dusty took out one of the soldiers quickly and then jumped on the commander. The commander's eyes were wide with fear as the mabari attempted to get a vice grip on his throat.

"All right, you've won! We surrender."

The sister put her hand on Aeden's shoulder. "Good. They've learned their lesson and we can all stop fighting now."

As the sister helped the commander to his feet, Aeden stood in front of him, menacingly. "Take a message to Logain."

"Wh-what do you want me to tell him?" the commander cowered.

"Tell him the Grey Wardens know what really happened."

"I'll tell him, right away," the commander stammered as he rushed his remaining men out of the tavern with all haste.

Delia checked the wardens for injuries. Luckily for the group, all they suffered from were minor cuts, so they were able to conserve their healing potions. The sister was no worse off as Aeden was able to protect her from the worst of the onslaught. As she used a poultice on the sister's arm to heal the one significant cut she suffered, Delia took the opportunity to put her hand on the sister's shoulder.

"_A very young child, watching the death of a woman… could that be her mother? A girl of perhaps ten years dancing in front of an elderly lady as she claps her hands in amusement…the elderly lady in a coffin… A young woman, sneaking through a seemingly abandoned house with two companions and stealing something, could it be documents? Captured by soldiers and torture… escape… the Chant of Light… This woman has truly suffered greatly. What of her heart – her purpose? She seems to be mostly honest, but there is a part of her that wishes to boast of great deeds. What an interesting person! She could be someone worth getting to know better."_

The sister smiled at Delia, grateful for the healing poultice. Aeden looked at the sister and frowned. Something troubled him about this woman, but he didn't know what it was. He was going to get to the bottom of her intervention. Why would she attempt to fight heavily armed warriors when she only was clothed in a robe? How in the Maker's name could an Initiate fight as well as she did? This was going to be interesting.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Lothering

The initiate smiled at Aeden and introduced herself as Leliana. As she explained why she intervened, Aeden became irritated. He wanted to know how a lay sister of the Chantry would know how to fight.

"I wasn't born in the Chantry, you know. Many of us had more… colorful lives before we joined," she answered, smiling at him. "Those men said you're a Grey Warden. You will be battling the darkspawn, yes? That is what Grey Wardens do. I know after what happened, you'll need all the help you can get. That's why I am coming along."

Aeden looked at her gravely. "Why so eager to come with me?"

"The Maker told me to." Leliana looked at him with a look of innocence and determination.

"Can you… elaborate?"

Her eyes teared. "I-I know that sounds… absolutely insane—but it's true! I had a dream… a vision!"

Alistair smirked at Delia and whispered in her ear, "More crazy? I thought we were all full up."

Delia looked at him and elbowed him in the side, earning her a chuckle from the warden.

As Leliana tried to convince Aeden, Delia walked up to him and put her hand on his arm.

"Aeden, I believe Leliana could be a valuable asset. Besides, we need all the help that we can get, how can we afford to turn away someone who very willingly wishes to assist us?"

Morrigan clucked her tongue. "Perhaps your skull was cracked more than Mother thought?"

Aeden glared at Morrigan, then looked at Delia with a soft sigh. "Very well, I will not turn away help when it is offered."

Leliana beamed at him. "Thank you! I appreciate being given this chance. I will not let you down."

"Well then, let's eat something quickly and see if we can find some work here in town before we move on. We need to buy supplies, and I suppose we need some armor for Leliana as well."

Delia spoke quickly. "Why don't you, Alistair, Morrigan and Dusty take some jobs from the Chanter's Board while Leliana and I buy supplies. I would guess that the two of us will be able to barter better prices than the rest of you, given our backgrounds."

Aeden nodded. "I agree. That will also make for a better use of our time. I would like to get out of Lothering as soon as possible. Seeing as there is no place to stay here anyway, let's meet at the bridge on the Chanter's Board side later. I would like to make camp outside of town before nightfall."

The group finished eating and then they all went to the Board together. On the way, Alistair pulled Delia aside.

"Are you certain you'll be alright being left here on your own with Leliana?" He had a worried look on his face.

"I'm sure, Alistair. We will be safe in town. I promise to stay out of any dark allies and will be cautious of any strange people. Remember, I am used to handling myself in a large city, and this town is nothing in comparison."

He put his hand gently on her cheek. "Just please be careful. I would rather have my eyes on you so that I can protect you myself."

"You are worrying too much. We'll be fine, you'll see. Have fun bashing things about and we'll have some fun shopping. It will be almost like a girls' day out." Delia chuckled as she smiled at him.

They caught up with the group as Aeden took notes about the jobs that existed. He looked up at Delia and Alistair and gave them a cold look, then quickly went back to his note taking.

"Alright, we have some bandits to take out and the bartender wanted some poisons. Delia, we'll bring you some toxins and ask you to make the poisons later. The two of you ladies be careful. We don't have any coppers to lose, and I don't want you to fall victim to a cutpurse or worse. Let's get moving."

The wardens and Morrigan headed to the outskirts of the town while Delia and Leliana began to search for supplies.

"Oh, I haven't had a chance to do any sort of shopping in months!," Delia nearly squirmed with glee.

"Not even for supplies?" Leliana asked. "I know that I've been cloistered but even I've been at the market when it was my turn to buy food."

"I've not been able to do anything for weeks. I had only recently arrived from Antiva when my world went topsy-turvy and I found myself a Grey Warden recruit. Our commander, Duncan, did all the purchasing while we were on the road, and once we joined the rest of the wardens at Ostagar the only thing I did that was remotely like shopping was talking to the quartermaster about armor and weapons."

"Ah, it seems like you and I have both traveled a bit, no? I look forward to hearing about your life. However, I suppose that right now we must focus on our task at hand."

The two walked around the village. There were very few people who had anything to sell, but they were able to find dried meat and fruit to get them through to Redcliffe as long as they supplemented it with the occasional small game. The merchant outside of the Chantry was unpleasant, but they found some basic leather armor for Leliana that would be suitable as well as a dagger.

As they walked, they chatted amiably about shopping. Leliana told Delia about how she was raised in Orlais. Her favorite thing to shop for in Orlais was shoes. For some reason that Delia couldn't fathom, Leliana seemed to have a near fetish for fashionable shoes! Delia had to admit that the descriptions of the shoes and how they matched the fancy dresses made her almost want to shop there with her new friend. Of course, in Antiva, shoes were made of leather, not the fancy silks described by Leliana. The ladies' shoe leather was always incredibly soft and the cobblers tooled delicate and ornate designs to the tops and sides. The two giggled and acted as friends who had known each other from childhood!

Their merriment was dampened when they came across a young boy calling for his mother. When he refused to leave the bridge with them to seek refuge, they bought him a sweet roll and found one of the Chantry sisters to help him. It wasn't long before they noticed the same sister adding a job posting to the Board, which assumed the child's mother dead, but asked an adventurer to find proof.

Across the bridge they found one of the Chantry's elders, trying her best to assist the many refugees that had traveled to Lothering since the Ostagar battle. Upon learning the sister's supply of healing poultices was running low, Delia used the elfroot collected along the road to brew more poultices and gave them to the sister. Leliana was impressed by the recruit's generosity.

At the edge of town there was a cage with a very large man inside. Delia recognized the man as a Qunari from the country of Seharan. The man noticed her staring at him and was not pleased.

"You aren't one of my captors. I will not amuse you any more than I have the other humans. Leave me in peace," he nearly growled in contempt."

Delia was concerned. " You're a prisoner? Who put you here?"

He gruffed back, "I am in a cage, am I not? I've been placed here by the Chantry."

"The revered mother said he slaughtered an entire family. Even the children." Leliana's eyes were downcast.

"It is as she says. I am Sten of the Beresaad—the vanguard—of the Qunari peoples."

"I am Delia. Pleased to meet you."

He was taken aback. "You mock me. Or you show manners I have not come to expect in your lands. Thought it matters little now. I will die soon enough. I suggest you leave me to my fate."

Delia was shocked. This man was clearly a calm, rational person, yet he had by his own admission killed an entire family. He seemed to be remorseful for his actions, but how could she do anything to assist him? He was, after all, guilty of murder. She noticed then that he had a nasty cut on his hand that had begun to fester.

"Let me see your hand. I will put a poultice on it—there is no sense in your suffering needlessly."

He huffed, but put his hand through the bars of the cage. The skin was hot and puffy to the touch. As she administered the poultice, the wound improved quickly. As she held his hand, she allowed her gift to work through the man.

"_A child, growing up in a near commune of other children; strict military training, but great pride; a ship bringing a group of Qunari to Ferelden; darkspawn attacking and leaving his companions dead and him unconscious; nurtured back to health, but then a rage so out of control… he is bereft… he feels he has nothing to live for, but he is trustworthy where there is an honorable goal to be had…"_

"I find myself in need of skilled help." Delia was almost afraid to say anything.

He sized her up. "No doubt. What kind of help do you need?"

"I am sworn to defend the lands against the Blight."

His eyes opened in excitement. "The Blight? Are you a Grey Warden then?"

"Why do you ask?"

"My people have heard tales of the Grey Wardens' strength and skill," his eyes narrowed suspiciously, "although I suppose not every legend is true."

Delia giggled. "Oh, I am merely a recruit, but I travel with Grey Wardens. Would the revered mother let you free?"

"Perhaps if you told her the Grey Wardens need my assistance. It seems likely to bring my death as waiting here."

"I'll leave you for now."

"Farewell then."

Delia nearly pulled Leliana all the way to the Chantry. "You must speak to the reverend mother on his behalf! You know her and perhaps she will listen to you. His skills mustn't be allowed to be wasted, not when we need so much help!"

They arrived in the Chantry and walked to the reverend mother's alcove. Delia graciously offered a tithe.

"Reverend mother, I want to talk about Sten, the Qunari you imprisoned."

She rose and walked across the room. "It might have been kinder to execute him, but I leave his fate to the Maker. Why does he interest you?"

"I want him freed. I might have a use for him."

"Then his next victims might count you and me as their murderers."

"I was thinking you might release him into my custody."

The mother looked at Leliana. "And what do you think of this, Leliana? You know your friend here better than I."

Leliana looked at the mother sadly. "These are… unusual times, your Reverence. With us, the Qunari might do some good. I am sure of it, in fact."

The mother sighed. "Were things not so desperate… very well, I trust you. Take these keys to his cage and Maker watch over you."

Leliana breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, your Reverence. Your trust is not misplaced."

They quickly left the Chantry and found that their companions were waiting for them on the bridge next to the Chanter's Board. As he noticed the two women coming towards them, Alistair stood and walked toward Delia.

"I was wondering where you were. I didn't think the two of you had that much to shop for in this tiny town." His eyes danced mischievously.

"We have been quite busy. I believe we've found another person to join our merry band," Delia replied happily.

Aeden's eyes darkened. "Oh? And what stray have you picked up now? A dwarf who fancies himself a mage?"

"No, Aeden, I have a member of the Beresaad; a Qunari warrior who wishes to fight against the Blight."

"Well, well… I want to see this Qunari. You don't see them running around Ferelden every day," he teased.

"Then let's go get him and then we can start on our way."

The group re-crossed the bridge and walked to the edge of town. As they approached the cage, Aeden and Alistair both had their eyes open wide in surprise. The Qunari seemed surprised to see the women returning.

"You wish something more of me?" he asked Delia.

"I have the key to open your cage."

"I confess I did not think the priestess would part with it."

"She agreed to release you into my custody."

"So be it. Set me free and I will follow you against the Blight."

"Very well, I'll let you out." Delia took the large key and opened the lock. She then removed the padlock from the cage and opened the door. The Sten stepped out, his height suddenly quite obvious. Delia gulped down her sudden fear of the murderous giant, reminding herself that she saw his trustworthiness.

He looked down at her. "And so it is done. I will follow you into battle. In doing so I will find my atonement."

She smiled up at him. "Thank you, Sten. Glad to have you with us."

He looked at the other members of the group. "May we proceed? I am anxious to be elsewhere."

Aeden started to lead the group toward the road to the Bannorn. He wasn't very happy that Delia had simply recruited the Qunari without speaking to him and Alistair first, but decided that it would be better to have a warden meeting once they made camp than to bring the matter up in town. As they neared the road, the sounds of battle assaulted their ears. Someone was fighting darkspawn, and so the group ran toward the clashing metal.

They found a merchant and his son being attacked by a small group of darkspawn. With the help of Sten, they dispatched the monsters very quickly. Aeden couldn't help but be impressed with the Qunari's skill and strength. "_He may be frightening, but he can fight. He seems to want to kill these fiends as much as we do. I'll reserve judgment for now, but I think I will have Dusty keep an eye on Sten. At least until we feel we can trust him." _As soon as the merchant was deemed to be safe, the party started to walk down the road, to their soon to be determined campsite for the night and eventually to Redcliffe.


	18. Chapter 18

_Sorry this chapter is so long. I couldn't find a way to break it up._

Chapter 18: The Bannorn

It wasn't long before the sun was low in the sky. Aeden found a spot along the road that seemed to be used often for campsites, complete with a stone circle for a fire already in place. The group set up their newly acquired tents first and then Aeden took Dusty into the woods to hunt. While they were gone, Sten collected wood, Leliana collected twigs and dried grass for kindling, and Alistair and Delia prepared the new cooking pot and fire. Aeden and Dusty were successful in catching several pheasants, and after they were properly prepared Delia took over.

As she rubbed some herbs into the skin of the birds, Alistair walked up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders, leaning over her to watch her work.

"Mmmmmm… how come dinner already smells better than when I cook?"

Delia looked up at him and smiled. "That's because your idea of food is a stew that is grey and mushy! I think you could learn how to be a decent cook. You just need to pay a bit more attention than you do."

He returned the smile and laughed. "I think it's best if I let you do it. I think Aeden would accuse me of trying to poison him and taking over as group leader. You know what would happen if I were the leader, don't you? We'd get lost, people would die, and the next thing you know I'm stranded somewhere without any pants!"

As they continued their light banter, Aeden watched from outside his tent. He didn't like the fact that Delia was getting closer to Alistair, but he didn't really know why. He had no hold on Delia. The only time they ever spoke about marriage was when their mothers brought it up, and it would always bring Aeden, Delia and Dairren to laughing fits. It just never seemed right, for some reason. The three of them were best friends, and Delia was the sister he had never had. Why did he now find himself feeling jealous?

Delia cooked the birds directly over the flame and prepared some potatoes to bake among the coals of the fire. While dinner was cooking she took the opportunity to organize the herbs she had been collecting. It was important to keep the elfroot and the cooking herbs away from the plants used for poisons. She didn't like to make poisons, but sometimes they were necessary. Morrigan walked over toward her and nodded her approval.

"You have been collecting many useful plants. I see that you have knowledge of both poisons and potions. I am confused, however, by some of these other plants you collect. Why are you interested in wild basil and garlic? Are there potion recipes you would be willing to share?"

Delia smiled at the mage. "Actually, these other plants I use for cooking. They can help the food to taste better. For instance, I took some wild mustard seeds and ground them up, then rubbed them into the skin of the pheasants I am cooking for dinner. I think you'll like the taste."

"I have never heard of using herbs for cooking. It is not something I ever learned from Mother in the Wilds. We shall see if your words are true, for I have always been taught that cooking is simply a necessity and we did it simply and quickly."

"I'll look forward to hearing your opinion, Morrigan." Delia watched as the mage walked back to her tent and then looked around at the various members of their group. Alistair was cleaning his armor, Aeden was throwing a stick for Dusty with Leliana watching in amusement, and Sten was practicing his battle stances. She sighed to herself. These people were all so very different, but as Alistair had once said to her it was truly amazing how the Blight brought people together.

As soon as the food was ready Delia called everyone over to eat. She was surprised that Alistair walked away from the group as soon as his food was plated. After serving the rest of the party, she took food for herself and walked over to where he sat.

Sitting next to him, she looked at his face. He seemed to be so deep in thought that she hesitated talking to him. Sighing softly, she decided to speak.

"Do you want to talk about Duncan?"

He looked down and softly replied, "You don't have to do that. I know you didn't know him as long as I did."

"That doesn't mean I don't mourn his loss."

"I… should have handled it better," he said with a sigh. "Duncan warned me right from the beginning that this could happen. Any of us could die in battle. I shouldn't have lost it, not when so much is riding on us, not with the Blight and… and everything. I'm sorry."

Delia moved closer to him and put her hand on his. "There's no need to apologize."

"I'd… like to have a proper funeral for him. Maybe once this is all done, if we're still alive. I don't think he had any family to speak of."

Delia looked sadly into his eyes. "He had you."

Alistair looked at her with a sad smile. "I suppose he did. It probably sounds stupid, but part of me wishes I was with him. In the battle. I feel like I abandoned him."

She squeezed his hand. "I understand completely."

Alistair chuckled. "Of course, I'd be dead then, wouldn't I? It's not like that would make him happier. I think he came from Highever, or so he said. Maybe I'll go there sometime, see about putting something up there in his honor. I don't know."

Suddenly he thought of the conversation he had with Delia back at the Wardens' campfire in Ostagar and he felt ashamed of himself. She had lost so much more than he had, and he was complaining about only his own problems. He looked at her, sadly.

"Here I am, going on and on about Duncan, and you've lost so much more. Your mother, brother and family friends… I'm sorry. Thank you, though…really, I mean it. It felt good to talk about it, at least a little."

"Maybe I'll go to Highever with you when you go."

He smiled at her. "I'd like that. So would he, I think."

They were quiet for a minute, and then Delia decided to ask a question.

"I'd like to ask something."

He smiled at her and answered, "Ask away."

"So… you said Arl Eamon raised you?" Delia bit her lip nervously.

Alistair could feel her nervousness and decided to lighten the mood. Giving her a lopsided grin he started a story. "Did I say that? I meant to say that dogs raised me. Giant, slobbering dogs from the Anderfels. A whole pack of them, in fact."

"Really?" Delia couldn't help but laugh. "That must have been tough for them."

"Well, they were flying dogs, you see. Very strict parents, too, and devout Andrastians, to boot."

"And these dogs sold you to the Chantry, I take it?"

Now it was his turn to laugh aloud. "Oh there you go, listening to me again." He continued to explain to her his life as the bastard son of a Redcliffe serving girl. Arl Eamon took him in when his mother died and raised him from a very young age until Eamon's new wife convinced him to send Alistair away to the Chantry at the age of ten. He was so upset that he was being sent away that he destroyed the only thing he had left of his mother, an amulet of Andraste, by throwing it in anger against a wall and shattering it. Alistair continued to tell her how he had a difficult time forgiving Eamon for sending him away.

Delia pondered his words and asked, "Are you sure he isn't your father?"

"Yes, I'm quite sure. At any rate, I don't look anything like him… you'll see for yourself."

"So… why have you remained a Templar if you hate the Chantry?"

That question earned another lopsided grin from Alistair. "Have you seen the uniform? It's not only stylish, but well made. I'm a sucker for good tailoring."

"Oh, I don't think I've ever seen you in it."

"I keep it under my pillow. Sometimes I'll take it out so I can hug it fondly and remember the good old days." He sniffed. "Brings a tear to the eyes, you know?"

Narrowing her eyes, Delia teased him. "Do all Templars make these jokes? Or just you?"

"Oh, you know, between all the guilt and the hours spent in solemn prayer, any good Templar or priest is just bursting to tell a few good jokes when the opportunity arises." He hesitated for a second, and then asked, "You don't really want to know about my being a Templar, do you? It's really quite boring."

With a mischievous glint in her eye, she answered him flirtatiously. "Then make up something more interesting."

"You know, I like the way you think. I guess if you're really curious, there's no harm in obliging. I have a couple of interesting moles that I could show you later, if you're interested," he said, his voice low and throaty. Clearing his throat, he continued his answer. "The truth of the matter is that I did hate going to the monastery. The initiates from poor families thought I put on airs, while the noble ones called me a bastard and ignored me. I felt like Arl Eamon had cast me off, unwanted, and I was determined to be bitter. But I took some solace in the training itself, I guess. I was actually quite good at it."

"What did you enjoy about the training?"

"The education, mostly, but also the discipline. You need to have a disciplined mind in order to use the abilities we have. It was difficult, but rewarding. I never really felt at home anywhere, though, until I joined with the Grey Wardens. And Duncan felt my Templar abilities might be useful for when we encountered darkspawn magic, so I kept it up."

Alistair hesitated for a second, and then spoke seriously. "What about you? Do you have anywhere you consider home?"

Delia looked to the ground and spoke softly. "I guess my home is with the Grey Wardens now. With you."

He was surprised. "It is? I… didn't know you felt that way. We won't always be traveling like this, you know. Once the war is over, once the Blight is… well, a time will come when we'll have to start thinking about having a real home again. Though that seems like a long way off."

They continued their conversation late into the evening, talking mostly about the Grey Wardens and Alistair's Joining. Delia found herself mesmerized by the sound of his voice, and his lopsided smile always made her heart skip a beat. It was easy to talk to him. He was articulate and charming, and he was especially adorable when she would get him to blush!

At a lull in the conversation, she blurted out, "Has anyone ever told you how handsome you are?"

He grinned, "Not unless they were asking me for a favor. Well, there was that one time in Denerim, but those women were… not like you. Why? Is this your way of telling me _you_ think I'm handsome?"

"My lips are sealed," she answered flirtatiously.

He chuckled, and his grin grew wider. "Oh, I get it. I'll get it out of you, yet. Is this the part where I get to say the same?"

She grinned. "Not unless you don't think so."

"Oh, I think so. I'll just spring it on you when it's a surprise." He laughed heartily.

They sat in silence for a minute, and Alistair's face started to look almost too serious. Delia looked at him and wondered if something was wrong, but then he cleared his throat and started to speak again.

"You, know, being raised in the Chantry makes it a bit… difficult for me to talk about my feelings, especially when there's a beautiful woman involved."

"So, you _do_ think I'm beautiful?"

He blushed from one ear to the other. "Yes, of course, but… Maker help me, it's hard for me to even think straight sometimes when I'm near you." He looked into her eyes, a warm smile coming across his face. "I know we haven't known each other for very long, but I realize that I… care for you. I think it's because we've already been through so much together, I don't know. Or maybe I'm imagining it. Maybe I'm fooling myself." He became serious again. "Am I? Fooling myself? Or… do you think you might ever… feel the same way about me?"

She blushed and looked at her feet. Her hands began to fidget nervously before she answered. "I don't know… it's too soon to say."

He moved closer to her, and putting his hand in back of her head he quietly spoke. "Well, is it too soon for this?" Then he kissed her, very gently and almost as soft as a whisper. He broke the kiss and pulled back, looking into her eyes for a hint of her feelings.

Delia was surprised by the kiss, but felt as though lightning passed through her body. She knew that her feelings for Alistair were beyond friendship, but she hadn't hoped that he would care for her in the same way. As her eyes found his, the look of hope and longing in his gaze made her feel weak.

"I don't know. I need more testing to be sure," she answered, her voice nearly inaudible.

"Well, I'll have to arrange that, then, won't I?" He smiled broadly.

Unknown to the two of them, Aeden was watching from across the campsite. The minute he saw Alistair kiss Delia, he ran toward them and leaped on Alistair. As he pummeled his fists into Alistair's face, Delia screamed at him to stop. Sten ran over to pull the younger warden off Alistair.

Delia was furious. "Sten, hold Aeden over there while I tend to Alistair's wounds. I will deal with him as soon as possible."

Sten dragged Aeden across the camp. The commotion caused Leliana and Morrigan to stand by and watch as Delia pulled some healing potions and poultices from her pack and bring them back to Alistair.

"I'm sorry, Alistair. I have no idea what is wrong with him! I have to clean your lip… he split it so we'll need to keep a poultice on it overnight. Maker… I have no idea why he would behave like that!"

"Well, at least if I was meant to be a practice dummy it was worth it." He grinned at her. "Ouch! I guess I can't really smile right now. At least I have a pretty girl to heal me."

She smiled at him. After cleaning his lip, she gently applied the poultice and had him drink a potion. There were several other minor cuts on his face, and it looked as though his eye would be black in the morning, so she used more poultices to stop the swelling and bruising.

"Now, Alistair, you stay here until I come back."

"Your desire is my command," he flirted.

Delia stomped across the compound to where Sten had Aeden seated on a log. Aeden wouldn't look at her and just sat glumly.

"What in the Maker's name was that all about? I can't believe that you attacked him for no reason! What do you have to say for yourself?"

"He kissed you!" He spat the words out as his eyes shot up at her in a fierce glare. "Just who does he think he is, anyway? He has no right to touch you."

"And who are you, thinking that you can make such decisions for me? You are not my father or my brother, and the last time I checked we were nothing to each other."

Her words stung him more than she realized. He looked at her like a kicked puppy.

"Nothing? But… you're all I have left! I've lost… everyone. My parents, my brother, his family… everything and everyone I ever knew is gone, except for you. I _need _you, Delia. Please… don't abandon me."

She took his face in her hands. "Aeden, you and I have been friends ever since I can remember. Why does it bother you if Alistair cares for me?"

He answered softly, "I don't want to lose you. I'm afraid that you'll abandon me for him."

"You cannot lose me. We are both pledged to the Grey Wardens and I don't intend to go anywhere. You are the closest thing to family that I have." She knelt in front of him and took his hand in hers. "Aeden Cousland, you have always been a brother to me. I promise you, I shall henceforth be your adopted sister. This gives you the right to watch out for me, and vice versa, but I warn you that it also means that I will nag you as only a sister can nag you, and I _will_ stop you from making an arse of yourself when it comes to issues of how I live my life. You will _not_ have the right to fly into jealous fits like a five year old child whose favorite toy is being played with by another. You are my _family_ and I am yours. However, _brother_, you now have to walk over there and apologize to your fellow Grey Warden because you have indeed made an arse of yourself. You have to remember first and foremost that your _sister_ is a grown woman and if she wishes to allow a man to kiss her it is her business, and you have to _stay out of it!_" She stood up in front of him and put her hands on her hips. "So, is this agreeable to you then? Or do _you_ have _romantic_ thoughts you have never mentioned to me? I don't know if I could handle that!"

His eyes softened and he smiled. "No, I don't think I could handle that either. I can't help but think about pulling your pigtails, so I guess the brother thing is better for me. And… I guess I do owe Alistair an apology. I just couldn't bear the thought of him taking you from me."

"Isn't it better then to consider him a part of our little Grey Warden family? It seems to me that you both get along fine as long as I'm nowhere nearby. Maybe you could realize that the three of us are stuck together, at least until we end the Blight, and that's a long way off yet."

He nodded. "You're right. I'll go apologize now."

He slowly walked toward Alistair, who watched him warily. As Aeden got close, Alistair grinned at him.

"So, checking to see if you missed a spot?"

Aeden looked over his face before he responded. "Actually, it looks as though I was pretty thorough." He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "I'm sorry, Alistair. I shouldn't have done that."

"No lasting harm done. I just want to know, why? What did I do to get you that angry?"

"I was… just worried that I would lose the last person that I know. I didn't want to be alone."

Alistair stood and reached out his hand to Aeden. "We will never be alone, I swear it. You and I are the last Grey Wardens in Ferelden, and as such we are brothers until the end. I just need to know, am I stepping on your toes where Delia is concerned? Are you courting her? If that's the case, I will stop immediately. You knew her long before I did."

Aeden grasped Alistair's hand and grinned. "No, she would punch me if I ever tried courting her. We were never meant to be a… couple. She is more of a sister, and now that you both have assured me that I still belong here I feel much better. I guess I should have told her how I was feeling instead of assuming the worst. Can you forgive me?"

"Of course. I understand how you feel. We've all lost so much. We need to make certain that none of us are alone again. Not… ever."

With that, Morrigan walked out of the shadows, clapping her hands in applause. "Well, well. Delia asked me to give my opinion of the evening meal. I must say that while the food was quite tasty, I believe that the entertainment portion of the night was far more satisfying."

Both Alistair and Aeden rolled their eyes at the mage, but then burst out laughing. It just figured the apostate would be there to make them both wish they _were_ alone.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Everyone Has a Past

Morning arrived and Delia dressed and exited her tent to begin her morning practice. As she ran through her stances, Leliana walked over to her.

"Ah, I see you practice the forms of an assassin, but you have more of the grace and timing of a duelist."

Delia stopped her routine and sat down with the initiate. "Actually, I honestly don't know what forms I use. The Grey Warden Commander had only started my training a few weeks before the battle at Ostagar."

Leliana's eyebrow rose. "You've only learned your fighting skills that recently? That is most impressive. If you would like, I can help you. Before I joined the Chantry, I was very well trained in the rogue stances."

"Would you be able to teach me stealth skills? Duncan said he thought I would be quite good at that."

"Yes, I believe you would be. Your feet are graceful, almost like a dancer's."

Delia smiled, memories of school flooding back to her. "I was actually quite good at dancing. I told you that I lived in Antiva City. I studied at the Universidad de Antiva for many years. The most important thing that my school taught us was how to be proper nobles, including, of course, knowing the correct steps for every important court dance. My brother and I would practice until our feet were ready to fall off!"

"Well, that explains quite a bit about you then, yes? I am familiar with the Universidad's teachings. Many of the young nobles of Orlais would be sent there as well, in order to become properly polished." She put her finger to her lip in concentration. "We should focus then on teaching you your stances with a duelist mindset. The duelist concentrates on her form and uses her intellect and grace to her advantage."

"It's interesting… I remember the first time I worked with Duncan I thought that sparring was very much like a dance. I suppose I wasn't far off then." Delia grinned at Leliana.

"Not at all, my friend. Now, let me show you some variations on the forms you have learned. I believe you will find these to be most useful."

The women started to go through the routine Duncan taught his recruit, with Leliana stopping Delia at different parts to teach her variations. Delia found that these slight differences seemed to be far better suited to her smaller physique, and she was grateful that the Maker saw fit to bring this woman into her life.

As they practiced, Alistair came out of his tent and watched the two from a distance. _"Maker, she is stunning! How can she make fighting stances look so beautiful?"_ He stood there, grinning without even realizing it, until Aeden punched him on the arm.

"Heeeeey, what was that for? I thought you had done enough punching last night!" Alistair rubbed his arm.

"You're making yourself a bit… obvious, Alistair. Maybe you shouldn't stand there staring. If Morrigan saw you she'd have more ammunition than you could deal with."

Alistair sighed and then looked back at Delia. "You're right, but look at her. She moves so… effortlessly. She's just so beautiful."

Aeden watched the two women as they began to spar. To his eye, Delia was just doing her regular routine. His eyes went to the initiate. He hadn't noticed how her hair caught the early morning sun. Both women were smiling and talking as they fought, and Leliana's smile was warm. Realizing that he was staring as badly as Alistair, he shook his head to release himself from the stupor he was in and pulled Alistair away to start preparing breakfast.

The women, in the meantime, had noticed their audience and were amused at the men's reaction. The goofy smiles worn by the warriors made the rogues laugh heartily.

"I believe we have mesmerized them, Delia," Leliana chuckled. "Both men are quite handsome, are they not? It is quite flattering to have them watch us so intently."

"It's also a little bit… creepy in a way. It makes me a bit uncomfortable to have them stare that way."

Leliana laughed. "You need to learn how to use all your skills to assist in the art of infatuation. You could be quite adept at wrapping men around your little finger!"

"ME? Maker, help me! I've always been somewhat shy around men."

"Come, come, Delia, you must have had many young men with their eyes on you at your school."

"Well, not really. My brother earned a lot of attention from the other girls, but I was too serious according to what some of the other boys told Dairren. Which was fine by me… they made me nervous."

"Men shouldn't make _you_ nervous, you must learn how to make _them_ nervous instead." Leliana grinned mischievously. "I suppose I should tell you that I was a bard in Orlais. You need to learn some of those skills – they would serve you well!"

"An Orlesian bard? How did you ever end up in the Lothering Chantry?"

A sadness clouded Leliana's eyes as she answered, "It is a long story; one that I am not ready to tell as of yet. When I am ready, you will be the first to know. However, in the meantime I will teach you my skills. Sometimes giving a man the right look can be a far better defense than a blade. It is amazing just how easily a man can be manipulated with a wink and a smile!"

The two women, upon finishing the routine, walked to the camp fire. Since the breakfast porridge wasn't ready yet, Delia decided to search for some herbs. She wandered at the edge of the woods and spotted a large clump of mint. She carefully picked some leaves and placed them in her herb bag with the other cooking herbs.

"What are you picking, Delia?" Alistair startled her, and she nearly fell. Alistair deftly caught her arm, and helped her to stand.

"Just some mint leaves. I thought they would be good in some of the heartier stews."

They walked back to the fire together. Leliana handed them each bowls of porridge, and they sat on a log near Aeden to eat. Aeden had a map open in front of him and he was studying it intently.

"So, I think if we walk at a good pace we should be outside of Redcliffe by tomorrow afternoon. Do you think that's a good plan, Alistair?"

Alistair frowned slightly. "I guess it's as good a plan as any. I suppose it might be worthwhile to see if we could have some Redcliffe soldiers travel with us."

"And for you to get a chance to visit home?" Aeden flashed a friendly grin toward Alistair, but he seemed to get grumpier.

"Well, it wasn't ever really much of a home to me, and they _did_ send me away to the Chantry when I was still relatively young. I'm not really looking forward to being there. I just hope that Eamon is alright."

Aeden was surprised at Alistair's attitude toward his childhood home, but he was more surprised that Delia was being quiet. A little bit too quiet for his taste.

"Are you alright Delia? You seem to be troubled by something."

She looked up and gave him a sad grin. "Just something not agreeing with my stomach. I'll be fine," she lied to her friend. She wasn't looking forward to explaining the reception she expected from the Guerrin family.

For his part, Aeden just nodded and accepted her answer. Alistair was too distracted by his own worries about how he would be received to notice. The two of them ate glumly, and then simply walked to their respective tents to pack up.

The party started the day's travel as soon as they could. Neither Alistair nor Delia talked much as the group walked along the road. Sten was also silent, as seemed to be his normal state, and Morrigan was being teased by Leliana about her lack of fashion sense.

Aeden was feeling ill at ease. It bothered him that his two friends were being so quiet, especially since they had been so annoyingly talkative previously. He tried to start conversations, but they would both answer with short answers and continue in their silence. Did the two of them have a fight? Aeden hadn't heard anything, but then again they could have had a disagreement while they were at the wood's edge. He started to feel angry. Maybe Alistair had done something to hurt Delia. Should he do something to intervene? Maker, he was feeling left out again!

By the time they stopped for lunch, Aeden was very irritated with Alistair and Delia, and Morrigan was more than irritated with Leliana. Aeden decided to sit away from the group in order to try to relax without the stress he was feeling from his friends. As he took the first bite of his jerky, the mage sat next to him with a huff.

"Warden, you must do something about that woman. I cannot tolerate another minute of her prattling on about what clothes I should or shouldn't wear. I am not a brainless Orlesian twit. My clothes are practical, and that is all that they need to be. If you are unable to contain her, I shall be forced to take matters into my own hands, and although I would have a great deal of pleasure setting her ablaze, I doubt your companions would appreciate my form of diplomacy."

With a heavy sigh, Aeden agreed to speak to Leliana. He stood up and walked over to her. As she noticed him approaching, she smiled warmly to him. His stomach suddenly felt as if it was fluttering inside of him. This woman affected him in a way he had never experienced before! He greeted her and asked if he could sit with her. Leliana warmly agreed, patting the log next to her.

Rather than try to explain the mage's position, Aeden thought it would be better to initiate a conversation of his own. He asked her about her life in Orlais, and learned about her actually being Fereldan by birth as well as how she was raised. Her voice was sweet and lilting, and he found himself smiling for the first time of the day. When it was time to continue their travels, he walked with her. Their conversation flowed easily, and the time passed quickly.

Aeden finally noticed how low the sun was in the sky and looked for a place to camp for the night. He found a site that was reasonable, and the party set up camp. After he set up his tent, he started out to hunt some game for dinner. Leliana asked to join him and Dusty, and since he had enjoyed her company so much he readily agreed. It didn't take long before several rabbits were acquired and they returned to camp. The two decided to prepare the dinner as well, since their companions were all involved with their own tasks.

Although Delia was nervous about entering Redcliffe, she had noticed Alistair's grumpiness and decided to check on him. She walked over to where he sat sharpening his blade and sat next to him before saying a word.

"Are you alright, Alistair? You seem to be preoccupied."

"I could say the same about you," he snapped back. "Right now I wish you would leave me alone."

She wasn't expecting his mood to be as nasty as it was, so she stood quickly and turned toward her tent. "Fine, Alistair, you can be alone as long as you want. I have no idea what I've done to make you so angry at me, but I won't trouble you any longer."

As she stormed back to her tent, he stared at her with his mouth agape. "_Maker, I've done it again. Now what do I do?"_ His mood only worsened. How could he explain his feelings about returning to Redcliffe? His life was ridiculously complicated, and he hated the fact that he had secrets hidden from his fellow wardens. Somehow he had to come up with the right words to explain his fears, his anger, and his trepidation. He prayed to the Maker for help and settled into a chilled feeling of hopelessness for the evening.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Redcliffe

The party had spent the evening in near silence; the only conversation taking place was between Aeden and Leliana. It left Aeden feeling very uncomfortable, so he assigned the night watches to everyone except for Alistair and Delia, hoping that getting some extra sleep might help their situation.

He took the third watch for himself, and it didn't seem as though he had been asleep long when Sten woke him. The first thing he did was walk the perimeter of the camp, and then he sat with Dusty on a boulder that was about halfway between the camp fire and Morrigan's tent. Morrigan always placed her tent away from the rest of the group, for whatever reason she had. He had decided that it wasn't worth his time to try understanding the apostate.

Aeden looked up at the stars and thought about the events that brought him to where he now was. Although he still hoped that his brother lived, with every passing day it seemed less likely. He had so much loss and devastation in such a short time, and now his friends were acting strangely. Somehow he needed to find a way to make things right for both Alistair and Delia, but what he needed to do and how he would do it eluded him.

The sun rose, showering the trees with golden rays. The birds started chirping in the treetops, and the land begin to awaken. Before long, Delia exited her tent and started her stance routine at the edge of the camp farthest from Morrigan's tent. Aeden went to the fire and put more logs in to prepare the fire for cooking breakfast. Alistair walked out of his tent, yawned deeply and stretched. He looked as if he had barely slept, and Aeden felt badly for him as he noticed him watching Delia sadly.

"Alistair, why don't you spar with Delia this morning? She needs a real workout, not just her routine."

He frowned. "I don't know, Aeden. I think she might use real daggers on me."

"Maybe that would be good for you – real life experience being better than practice and all," he chuckled at his friend. "Really though, I think it would be good for her." "_For both of you,"_ he thought to himself.

"Alright, alright. I'll throw caution to the wind." He walked over to Delia glumly. She watched his approach with a scowl.

"Delia, would you like to spar this morning?" He tried to smile, but even he knew his smile must have looked forced.

She looked at him with something that he couldn't quite place in her eyes. Was it hurt? Anger? It surprised Alistair when she agreed. Slowly they started to circle each other, and it bothered him because her face looked too serious. He decided it was time to lighten the mood, so he started to make silly faces at her. Her eyes opened a bit, so he knew he was having an effect. Then he started to lightly leap toward her and tap her on the shoulder, teasingly. Each time he tapped her, she looked at him as if he had lost his mind. This was nothing like the sparring training she had ever had! Alistair would tap her, his smile getting sillier and goofier with every tap, and then he started to say things like "Gotcha" or "Ha ha!". Before long, Delia decided that he had to have lost his mind! She couldn't help but smile back, and decided that she would get the better of him with this game.

As he reached for another tap, she started to sidestep him, rolling under his practice sword and hitting his ribcage. That earned her a full laugh from Alistair. As they continued their sparring game, Delia decided it was time to truly surprise him. As he lunged to tap her again, she leaped aside and pushed him, making him stumble forward. Before he could regain his footing completely, she jumped on his back, her arms around his neck in a tight grip and her legs around his waist.

The two were laughing heartily, as Alistair tried in vain to shake her off. Morrigan walked to the camp fire, where Aeden and Leliana were watching the two in amusement. She watched as Alistair bent over suddenly, making Delia fall to the ground over his shoulders. Alistair then grabbed Delia's wrists against the ground and, laughing, asked if she yielded. As she agreed, he released her hands, and she grabbed him behind his head and pulled him in for a quick kiss.

"Revolting!" said the mage. "Are they adults or did someone transform them back to children overnight?"

"Oh, relax, Morrigan. I think it's cute." Leliana smiled at the two warmly. "You don't have to watch – why don't you retreat back to your tent where you can be safe from humanity?"

"If this is humanity I will look forward to returning to the Wilds where I can be safe with the animals." Morrigan huffed back to her tent and began to pack for the days travels.

Alistair was surprised by the turn of events, but he was smiling. And what was even better, as far as he was concerned, Delia was smiling too. They walked hand in hand, laughing, back to the fire.

"So, Aeden, is breakfast ready?" Alistair grinned at his friend.

"I made breakfast today, Alistair. I used some of Delia's herbs to sweeten the porridge a bit." Leliana smiled at Delia and nodded her way.

They all sat amiably and ate their fill, then packed their tents. When they started the walk for the day, Delia took Alistair's hand. He smiled at her and squeezed her hand gently, but didn't pull away. As they made their way to Redcliffe, Alistair's mind was racing. He knew he needed to say something to Delia and Aeden, but he wasn't sure of how to say it.

As they crested the top of the hill right before Redcliffe Village, he knew it was time to speak. Deciding that babbling was better than not saying anything, he nervously cleared his throat.

"Look, can I talk to the two of you for a moment? I need to tell you something I, ah, should probably have told you earlier."

Aeden looked at him quizzically. "What's on your mind, Alistair?"

He ran his fingers through his hair. "I've told you before how Arl Eamon raised me, right? That my mother was a serving girl at the castle and he took me in? The reason he did that was because… well, because my father was King Maric. Which made Cailan my… half-brother I suppose."

Aeden chuckled. "So… you're not just a bastard, but a royal bastard?"

Alistair visibly relaxed. "Ha! Yes, I guess it does at that. I should use that line more often. I would have told you, but… it never really meant anything to me. I was inconvenient, a possible threat to Cailan's rule and so they kept me secret. I've never talked about it to anyone. Everyone who knew either resented me for it or they coddled me… even Duncan kept me out of the fighting because of it. I didn't want you to know, as long as possible. I'm sorry."

He looked sadly at Delia with a look in his eyes that told her that he really longed for everything to be ok. She looked away from his eyes, suddenly realizing the gravity of what he just told them. Cailan had no heir. Since Alistair was the only other son of Maric's, even though he was a bastard son he would be the next in line for the throne. Given her own secrets, she could understand why he would have kept this information from them, so she looked back into his face and tried to hide her own worries.

"I think I understand," she finally said to him softly.

He sighed. "Good. It's not like I got special treatment for it, anyhow. At any rate, that's it, that's what I had to tell you. I thought you both should know about it."

Aeden noticed Delia's change in demeanor and cleared his throat. Looking at Alistair, he questioned, "Are you sure? You aren't hiding anything else?"

"Besides my unholy love of fine cheeses and a minor obsession with my hair, no. That's it. Just the prince thing." He looked at Delia with his lopsided smile and winked at her.

She tried to lighten the mood. "You're a prince. Somehow I find that very… thrilling."

"Oh! Did I just find the one damn decent thing about my birthright? I think I did!" His grin grew larger at the thought, but then his face darkened again. "I have no illusions about my status, however. It's always been made very clear that I am a commoner and now a Grey Warden and in no way in line for the throne. And that's fine by me. No, if there's an heir to be found, it's Arl Eamon himself. He's not of royal blood, but he is Cailan's uncle… and more importantly very popular with the people. Though… if he's really as sick as we've heard… no, I don't want to think about that. I really don't."

His hands started to run through his hair again. "So, there you have it. Now can we move on, and I'll just pretend you still think I'm some… nobody who was too lucky to die with the rest of the Grey Wardens."

Delia looked at him, a tear forming at the corner of her eye. "That's not really what you think, is it?"

His shoulders slumped as he looked at her sadly. "Well… no. What I really think is that I was lucky enough to survive with you." He walked several paces away and looked out over the mountains, not wanting to know what his friends thought of him now that they knew the truth. Of course, they would have learned as soon as they met the Arl, but that would have been so much worse, wouldn't it? It had to be better for them to learn it from him directly rather than be subjected to it in ignorance.

Before he had an opportunity to hear what the other's thoughts were, a man ran across the bridge toward them.

"I… I thought I saw travelers coming down the road, though I scarcely believed it. Have you come to help us?"

"What do you mean? Is there a problem?" Aeden found the villager's demeanor worrisome.

The man seemed shocked that word of the town's troubles hadn't reached them. He explained how monstrous creatures were overrunning the town at night, killing everyone they could. Although the men of the village had formed a militia, they were desperate for help, and he asked if the group would please follow him and speak to Bann Teagan, the Arl's brother. Aeden immediately agreed, and the group followed the man, Tomas, to the Redcliffe Chantry.

Delia stayed toward the back of the party, but when they reached the Chantry, Aeden wanted her to enter along with himself and Alistair. Taking a deep breath and mustering her courage, she followed the two men into the building. In the front of the room stood Bann Teagan. He looked exactly as she remembered him from the previous summer. "_Maker, please don't allow him to notice me. Maybe I'll be able to successfully hide behind Aeden and he won't realize it's me…"_

Teagan was distracted by paperwork as the three followed Tomas. The young man announced himself and his guests. Teagan, flustered by the decisions he was trying to make, welcomed them without even looking up. "Greetings, friends. My name is Teagan, Bann of Rainesfere, brother to the arl."

Alistair smiled at him. He remembered Teagan fondly, as they didn't have many years of age between them and they would often play together before he had been sent away. "I remember you, Bann Teagan, though the last time we met I was a lot younger and… covered in mud."

"Covered in mud?" Teagan looked up at the man and then a warm smile crept over his face. "Alistair? It is you, isn't it? You're alive! This is wonderful news!"

"Still alive, yes, though not for long if Teryn Logain has anything to say about it."

"Indeed, Logain would have us believe all Grey Wardens died along with my nephew, amongst other things."

Aeden was surprised. "You don't believe Logain's lies?"

Teagan looked disgusted. "What, that he pulled his men in order to save them? That Cailan risked everything in the name of glory? Hardly. Logain calls the Grey Wardens traitors, murderers of the king. I don't believe it. It is an act of a desperate man." His eyes appraised Aeden. "So… you are a Grey Warden as well. Is it possible we've met? You seem very familiar..."

"You may have known my father, Teryn Cousland."

A grimace of sadness flashed across his face. "Ah, yes, that's it exactly. A pleasure to meet you indeed, though I wish it were under more pleasant circumstances." His eyes passed in back of Aeden, where he saw another, shorter person. "And you, in back. Have we met?"

Delia sighed and stepped from in back of her friend. "Yes, Teagan. It's me, Delia Loren."

He looked baffled. "Lady Delia? What in the Maker's name are you doing here?"

"I am a Grey Warden recruit."

"What? Are you two mad? She is a noble born woman! How can you consider making her a warden?" He was outraged.

Gently Delia placed her hand on his arm. "It was my request of our Warden Commander, Duncan. Neither Aeden nor Alistair had any part of the decision to allow me to join."

"But you are not a warden as of yet? So this isn't something you must do?" His eyes were full of concern as well as something else.

Alistair couldn't believe what he was seeing. Delia knew Teagan? He supposed that they _were_ both nobles… maybe they had met at a dance, or at the Landsmeet… his mind began to babble silently.

"Teagan, I assure you that it is my own choice to be a Grey Warden. I also apologize in advance for any trouble my presence causes you with your brother or his wife. I assure you that I would not be here at all if it weren't for the fact that the wardens need your brother's help to battle the Blight."

"My concern is for your safety, my dear. I never want to see you come to any harm. You know how I feel about you… how I have always felt."

Delia blushed at his words and tried to ignore the confused looks on Alistair and Aeden's faces. "Perhaps you and I can speak later? Right now it is far more important for you three to work out a battle plan against the monsters plaguing the town." Nodding at her friends, she continued. "I will go outside and check with the rest of our group. You three work out the battle plans."

She walked out of the Chantry as quickly as she could, while the men conversed about the best way to fight the undead that were expected to arrive after sundown. As soon as the doors closed behind her, she leaned against the doors and breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't look forward to explaining what just had happened with Teagan, and hoped that her presence wouldn't cause her friends any trouble.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Suitors

Aeden and Alistair exited the Chantry and walked to Delia, who was sitting on the stairs. She looked up at them and stood, facing them.

"Alright, we have two people we need to speak to. Alistair, you and Delia talk to Murdock, the mayor, while I take Sten with me and talk to Ser Perth on the hilltop. We need to make sure that the castle passage and the harbor have plenty of fighters to kill the undead as they approach the village. While you two are searching the harbor area, keep an eye out for a young boy who is missing." Aeden left them and walked to Sten.

Alistair sighed and then nodded in the direction of the mayor. "I suppose we should get moving. There's a lot to do before dusk."

They walked over to where the mayor stood talking to some members of the town's militia. Delia stood next to Alistair as he talked to the mayor about the militia's needs, but she didn't contribute to the conversation. Her mind was racing and she felt very uncomfortable even standing in Redcliffe Village.

After talking to the mayor, Alistair led her to the blacksmith. He was refusing to perform repairs on armor or weapons because his daughter was missing. Delia's heart broke for him, and before she realized what she was doing she promised that the wardens would find her. Although it felt like an empty promise, the smith looked into her eyes and saw the empathy she held there. Believing her, the smith agreed to work on the repairs.

After visiting the smith, they went to the home of a dwarf named Dwyn and hired him and his two cronies as mercenaries for the battle. Then they wandered through the town store. Although it looked as if there was nothing of value left, they noted a few barrels of lamp oil that might be useful.

On their way back to the mayor, they heard noises coming from a house that looked deserted. Inside they located a young boy who had gone home to find his grandfather's sword to help fight the monsters. After promising to pay the boy and his sister, Alistair retrieved the heavy sword, vowing to the lad that it would assist the town in the battle.

After sending the lad back to the Chantry they walked back to talk to Mayor Murdock. They informed him that the smith was working again and that Dwyn would be fighting alongside the militia. The mayor was pleased and the men of the militia started to have hope. As they walked away from Murdock, Alistair took Delia by the hand and looked at her.

"Come with me – I want so show you something."

He led her to a spot in the back of the smith. The town's mill had a waterwheel there, and the spot had beautiful views of Redcliffe Castle.

"This was one of my most favorite places in Redcliffe when I was a child. I used to come here to escape everyone at the castle. I remember one time, Eamon was so angry at me for something… I think I broke something… anyway I came here and no one found me the entire day! I went back after the sun went down, hoping that I could sneak in unnoticed, but of course I was hungry and the cook was in the kitchen… at least Eamon was happy that I was safe. Ah, the good old days!" He chuckled and smiled at her.

Delia was enchanted by the view. The rhythm of the water falling from the wheel was relaxing, and there was a school of fish jumping nearby. She could picture it being an oasis for anyone wanting to escape for a while. She sat on a rock and sighed.

Alistair sat on a nearby rock and looked at her. She had a sad, faraway look in her eyes. Sighing himself, he mustered his courage and decided to ask his questions.

"So… when we were in the Chantry earlier, it seemed like you and Bann Teagan know each other from somewhere." He watched as her muscles tightened, then, with another sigh, her shoulders drooped.

"We met last summer. You know that being the daughter of a noble I am expected to allow my parents to arrange a marriage for me. Usually the marriage would be made for political reasons, so that each family will be stronger in position at the Landsmeet. My mother's father was a friend of Arl Eamon, and he convinced him to meet me, as a personal favor, to try to arrange a marriage for me to Teagan."

Alistair worked hard not to give away his surprise. "_She was supposed to marry Teagan? Maker…"_

"My grandfather arranged for a visit last summer. At first, it was Grandfather, my brother and me staying with Eamon at the castle. Everything was going well. Teagan and I enjoyed each other's company and we had so much to talk about. He is a very well read man, and he is gentle and kind as well. Dairren also got on well with him and Eamon, and it seemed as though the arrangements would be made. For my father, a marriage between me and Teagan would do a great deal to solidify his standing in the Landsmeet, but for Teagan it would be nearly as bad a marrying a commoner, given how poorly my father ranked among the nobles.

I overheard a conversation at one point, where Grandfather was in Eamon's study along with Teagan and Isolde, Eamon's wife. Teagan seemed to be pleased with the prospect of marrying me, mainly because of our easy conversations. Eamon seemed to simply want his brother married, saying he was worried his brother would die a bachelor. Of course, my grandfather was most pleased. It seemed that Lady Isolde was the only one who didn't feel that I was good enough for Teagan, and she was not happy at all when a message was sent inviting my parents to come to the castle.

Mother and Father arrived a week or so later. Eamon and Isolde planned a banquet to welcome them, attended by the important lesser nobles of Redcliffe and Rainesfere. My father, unfortunately, ruined everything when he became horrendously drunk at the dinner and caused a horrible scene. Eamon was terribly insulted, and the next morning my entire family was sent away from the castle with the added insult of being banned from Redcliffe. Grandfather was so angry… I never was even allowed to say goodbye to Teagan."

Delia looked at the ground, and a tear swelled in her eye. "Grandfather fell ill soon after that. He never fully recovered from the incident, and he died three months before the end of my school term. I haven't even been able to mourn at his monument. He was such a good man… he didn't deserve that humiliation."

Alistair stared at her, not sure of how to respond. Swallowing hard, he asked the question that was most important to him. "Are you in love with Teagan? I mean, if you are, we should do whatever we can to correct this situation so you can be happy…"

She cut him off and put her hand on his cheek. "Alistair, I was never in love with Teagan. It was all simply a political arrangement, but at least he's a good man. I could have been forced into a marriage that would have been far, far worse." She involuntarily shuddered at the thought of her own parents' marriage. To escape the misery forced upon her by her husband's mood swings and abuse, Delia's mother would either find solace in the bottom of a bottle or travel between her own father's house and the few friends she was able to keep despite her tyrant of a husband.

"If you and Teagan were so close to being married, why didn't you have Duncan take you to him? Why would you want to become a Grey Warden? As you said, Teagan is a good man, and I am sure he would do everything in his power to assist you." His eyes fell to the ground. Suggesting that she marry someone else was breaking his heart.

It was her turn to look away from him. The truth had to come out sometime.

"I actually never considered going to Teagan. I had been banned from Redcliffe, so I never even thought about coming here. The truth of the matter is… I asked Duncan to recruit me for my own protection."

"Yes, I know your father is horrible, but to abandon everything you grew up with to become a fighter? A warden? Surely you would want another solution."

"There is something you don't know about me. Earlier today, do you remember how I told you that I understood why you would keep your father's identity a secret?"

He nodded, but was becoming more confused by the second.

"I have a secret too. Please, Alistair, promise me before I tell you that you will not tell anyone. My life could be jeopardized."

"Of course I will keep your secret. I swear it."

"I have a… gift. An ability that is rare, especially in someone who isn't a mage. I am a seer. Do you know what that is?"

"I learned about it in my Templar training, but I thought you needed to be a mage to be a seer. Don't you use magic?"

"Well, it's magic, but it isn't like the mage magic. It's more like I am sensitive to understanding an energy field around a person. I can… feel their past, at least glimpses of it. The most important part of my gift is being able to determine what is in their heart. If they are they trustworthy or not."

"So… who knows about this… gift?"

"There were never many people who did know. My teachers, Justine and Salvatore knew, as did Dairren. I never even told my mother. Justine discovered that I had the talent when I was a young child. There was an incident where one child accused another of stealing her favorite book. The book was found in the accused girl's chest, but she denied having taken it. No one else would believe her except for me. I touched her and knew that she was telling the truth. I touched the other girls who were gathered and found the girl who had taken the book and then put it in the other girl's chest. The guilty girl was angry and wanted to cause trouble for the innocent girl. Justine was able to perform a spell that illuminated the truth, and then she took me into her tutelage."

He looked confused again. "Didn't you tell me that you had been tested several times to see if you were a mage?"

Delia laughed. "You remember that? Yes, I was tested. Of course, the mages who tested me must have known about my gift. Other than those people at my school and my brother, the only person I ever told was Duncan. He understood how my gift puts me in danger and agreed to make me a warden. It would keep me safe, and it could benefit the wardens as well."

"But why does it put you in danger? I would think that you would be very useful. No more need for a costly trial – just have Delia touch the people and there you have it! The answer is there!"

"Well, you have it partly correct. The problem comes in that when the bad people find out about my gift, they want me dead so that they will not be found out. Without any mage abilities I was left with no protection. I needed to rely on others to protect me. And, since I haven't quite become a great warrior, I still need protection."

"Yes, I could see where that would be bad. I promise you, Delia, that I will never say a word to anyone. And I've already promised to protect you, so that still holds." Suddenly he was nervous. What had she learned about him? After all, they had touched before. Did she know his every feeling? He started to blush. "So… if you can see into people's hearts… have you looked at mine? What has it told you?"

Blushing back at him, she shook her head. "No, I haven't looked into your heart. My instinct always told me that I could trust both you and Aeden as well. Justine gave me a necklace before I left Antiva. It has helped me to focus and control my gift, so I use it only when I want to use it."

His face broke into a teasing smile, and his voice dropped in range. "Would you _like_ to look into my heart and see what it tells you?"

She took his hand, the blush getting deeper on her own cheeks, and she smiled at him. Looking directly into his eyes, she started to feel his history. "You loved Eamon as a father, even though you knew he wasn't yours. Things only went… bad… when Isolde married him. She would… hit you, and blame your bruises on your clumsiness." Her face clouded with that memory. What a terrible way to treat a child, no matter what your belief was about the child's background. "The Chantry wasn't kind to you. The older boys bullied you. You searched out places such as this where you could hide and read or watch the clouds. Your life truly began when you joined the wardens. You were not able to keep your drinks down, were you?"

She laughed at that, and his eyes caught hers. He was looking at her far too seriously. "I never told you about Isolde or the other Templar trainees… it's simply amazing! So… my dear, what do you see… in my heart?"

She moved closer to him and put her hands on both sides of his face. "Alistair… I have never seen a heart as pure as yours. I don't think that you _could_ lie to me… not ever."

Emboldened by her touch, he flirted. "So… you think my heart is pure? Pure what, I wonder?" His grin was contagious.

"Well, maybe we should find out. Being as you were raised in the Chantry, have you never…"

"Never…? Never what? Had a new pair of shoes?" He moved back, grinning maddeningly.

"You know what I mean."

He laughed. "I'm not sure I do. Have I never seen a basilisk? Ate jellied ham? Have I never licked a lamppost in winter?" He raised his eyebrow.

"Now you are making fun of me." She crossed her arms and frowned at him, playfully.

"Make fun of you, dear lady, perish the thought! Well, tell me, have _you_ ever licked a lamppost in winter?"

"That's not what I meant and you _know _it."

He chuckled again. "So _that's_ what we're talking about. I admit I've never had a woman just… come out and ask me like this, that's for sure. I myself never had the _pleasure_, not that I haven't thought about it, of course, but… you know."

"You've never had the opportunity?" Delia asked sincerely.

"Well, living in the Chantry is… not exactly a life for rambunctious boys. They taught me to be a gentleman, especially when in the company of beautiful women such as yourself. That's not so bad, is it?" He looked rather uncomfortable, his easy grin replaced by insecurity.

"Not really, no," she said with a grin.

"Good. You'd… want a gentleman to court you, wouldn't you? If… if you were to be courted by someone, that is."

She winked at him. "I think I'd like that."

Relief washed over his face. "Good to know. I'll have to remember that." He smiled again and stood up. "Alright, I suppose we really should get back to… what we were doing… lest I make more of a fool of myself."

She stood and they walked side by side back to the main square of the town. The two needed to find Aeden and determine what still needed to be done before the night's battle.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22: Battles

Aeden rechecked everything needed for the upcoming battle in detail. Every member of the town's militia had repaired armor and weapons, oil was taken from the store and used to create a barricade at the hilltop, and the knights were given medallions with Andraste's holy symbol to shore up their resolve. As dusk approached, the mood of the residents was hopeful. The confidence level of the townsfolk had improved immensely, and even the mayor believed they were ready to take on the monsters' attack.

The only concern Aeden still had was where to assign his own party members. As he thought about it, he felt it best to have his strongest people with him, fighting alongside the knights at the top of the hill. The knights were fewer in number than the town's militia, so he thought it best to strengthen them and go downhill toward the docks if the militia needed assistance.

He was worried about the women and children in the Chantry. When he was in the building, he overheard many conversations where the people expressed their fears. If he had Leliana and Delia stay in the Chantry with the people, perhaps they would feel better protected and Aeden would be more at ease. He still didn't feel confident in Delia's fighting ability, so it would be best if she believed she had an important job but was really being kept safe.

He gathered his group together to relay his strategy.

"I want Alistair and Sten with me for their strength as well as Morrigan because I think magic could be very useful against the monsters. Delia and Leliana, I want you to take Dusty with you and remain in the Chantry as their last line of defense with Teagan. The people need to feel protected and safe, and having your blades with them will give them security."

Delia shifted uncomfortably. Spending the night in the Chantry with Teagan was not what she wanted. She would rather be fighting with Alistair and Aeden, but she didn't complain. Aeden's reasoning was sound, so she accepted his assignment with as much grace as she could muster. She spent as much time as she could before the sun set outside, talking to Alistair and trying to keep a positive attitude.

When the sun was low in the sky it was time for Aeden and the others to take their places at the hilltop with the knights. The entire party stood outside the Chantry along with the militia, knights and Teagan. Leliana and Delia gave each of their friends hugs for good luck, but when Delia hugged Alistair she lingered a moment longer than the others. Teagan took notice, but said nothing.

The leader of the Redcliffe knights, Ser Perth, led the knights up the path to the hilltop, followed by the wardens and their companions. Alistair couldn't help himself but to look back at Delia and, flashing his trademark grin, waved to her one last time. Delia waved back and watched until a curve in the path made it impossible to see him any farther. She was truly afraid for his safety, as well as Aeden's and the other party members', but she needed to have a courageous and confident expression on her face for the sake of the people.

Teagan held the door of the Chantry open for Delia, Leliana and Dusty. After they were inside, he placed the heavy wooden bar across the door and gave a silent prayer to the Maker that they would all survive the night. Watching the sun set from the stained glass window, he felt nervous and dreaded the battle sounds he expected to hear soon.

In the meantime, Dusty was getting a lot of attention. The children gathered around the dog and started to ask Delia questions about him.

"Is he really a mabari?" asked a little girl with red curly hair.

"Yes he is!" exclaimed Delia. "And he is a really nice mabari, and very smart too."

Dusty wagged his tail and woofed softly in agreement. He had been around children for most of his life, so he knew that loud barking would frighten them.

One small boy was hanging onto his mother's skirt and was afraid to come closer. Delia reassured him that Dusty really liked to have children as friends and asked if anyone would like a doggy kiss. Several children raised their hands, so Dusty pranced around the circle to each child who raised their hand. Every one of the children broke out in giggles! Delia asked Dusty to do some simple tricks to amuse and relax the group, and soon the hound was being hugged by every child in the room, even the one boy who had been so afraid.

Leliana clapped her hands together and asked if the children would like to hear a story. With a unanimous cry of yes, they all crowded around her. Taking a lute from her pack, she started by singing a few children's songs and then regaled the group with the story of Aveline, the woman knight. Dusty did his part by listening just as attentively as the children, and he became the favorite pillow of several of the youngsters as they grew sleepy.

While Leliana had the attention of the children (as well as most of the adults!), Teagan approached Delia and asked her to follow him to the Reverend Mother's office. Sighing, Delia stood and followed him. After she was in the door, Teagan offered her a chair near the hearth and closed the door behind them. Then he sat in front of her on the ottoman and looked into her face. His eyes were full of concern.

"Delia, I need an explanation. How in the Maker's name are you a Grey Warden recruit? You are a noble woman with an extensive education, not a hardened battle maiden! Why would they do this to you?"

With a soft sigh and a small frown, Delia tried to explain. "As I told you, I requested to become a recruit. No one asked me, much less forced me. I actually had to convince Duncan, the Warden Commander, to accept me, and I have worked very diligently ever since to learn my fighting skills and be worthy of the title."

"But why? Surely, this was not a personal goal of yours! You have never had any proclivity to battle."

"No, I never expected my life to take this direction. As for the reason why, I found myself needing a… place in this world. I needed people who would give me a reason to live, as well as people who would protect me."

His eyes flashed angrily. "You have a place in _this_ world. You are a noble born woman who should be married to another noble and helping to rule their lands. Why join the wardens instead of going to your home? Your mother surely would find someone for you rather than turn you into a warrior!"

"Home?" Her eyes opened wide with anger. "I have no home. Not anymore, anyway. My mother and brother were killed at Highever along with Aeden's family and his entire castle staff. My grandfather died several months earlier, having never recovered from the shame cast upon him from my father, and to even _suggest_ that I should return to West Hill to my _father_, well… I would hope that not even a Guerrin would wish that fate on me." She immediately regretted her last words, as she did not intend any malice toward Teagan.

Teagan's face contorted in sadness. "Delia, I could never wish any ill of you, and you know that. You know that I care for you – I always have and always will. Why didn't you come here, to me? I would have moved heaven and earth to help you; to protect you."

"You _know_ why, Teagan. I was forbidden to return here by your brother. To be honest, I am terrified of how he will react when he discovers that I _am_ here."

He took her hands in his, and gently raised her left hand to his lips. "Eamon is a fair man. He never had any ill feelings for you; the only problem was your father. I would have been able to convince him to allow our marriage and I would have kept you safe. You would have learned to love me, I'm certain of it. I always thought that the two of us were quite compatible."

"Yes, we were compatible. If it weren't for my father we would have been married already and none of this would be an issue."

His face brightened and he put his hands on her shoulders. "Then marry me. I will simply tell Eamon this is my wish. If he doesn't agree, I will remind him of the many members of the Landsmeet who disapproved of his marriage to Isolde. If he was permitted to marry for love, I should be allowed to do the same." He smiled and looked at her expectantly.

Delia's stomach knotted. Her feelings were becoming stronger for Alistair daily. Did she really _want_ to marry Teagan? She certainly didn't want to hurt him in any way. There were also Eamon and Isolde to contend with. Would it even be fair to him to cause trouble between him and his family? He had a duty to support his brother, and Delia's presence would possibly cause a wedge between the brothers that could not be repaired. Duty… maybe the answer lay in duty!

She smiled at Teagan sadly. "I… appreciate what you are willing to do for me, but I have already given my word to the Grey Wardens. I must fulfill my duty to them in assisting to defeat the Blight. I cannot expect you to wait for me, dear Teagan. You deserve to be happy, and I couldn't bear being the cause of any discord between you and your family."

His eyes went to the floor. "Perhaps, after the Blight has been defeated we can think about a marriage. I suppose I must accept things as they are for now. In the meantime I will keep you in my prayers to the Maker and Andraste to beg for your safety. My hope is that we will have the chance to be happy together."

"We shall see, Teagan. The Maker has always watched over his children, and though his plan is mysterious and his reasons may not be readily understood by us, He has his reasons for the trials he puts us through. He may yet have plans for us to be together." She smiled as she stood from the chair, and started walking to the door. "May the Maker keep you and your family safe through these difficult times, Teagan."

She walked into the sanctuary of the Chantry and sat next to Leliana. The stories had ended for the evening and the children were sleeping with their families, some more soundly than others. Leliana had asked the families to set up their bedding, such as it was, as far away from the entrance as possible. Not only did that leave room for them to fight, if necessary, but the sounds of the battle raging outside were quieter in the back, allowing a small bit of comfort to the refugees.

Leliana looked at her friend's face. Delia looked worried and exhausted and the initiate saw clearly that her conversation with Teagan had been stressful.

"Are you alright, Delia? Was your conversation that difficult?"

"It wasn't as difficult as I expected, but I cannot talk about it, at least not here. Ask me when we return to our own camp and we can speak alone. I certainly could use some advice." She smiled at Leliana and then turned her face to the window, where she kept watch for the first beams of the morning sun.

Teagan walked out of the office and joined them, sitting silently. The three remained silent, not only for the sake of the worried families, but because their worries made idle conversation seem disrespectful. Dusty lay in front of the door, seemingly asleep and yet fully alert. The battle sounds were frightening.

The night seemed interminable, and yet finally a beam of light emerged from the darkness. Slowly the sun rose over the lake, and with the sunlight the creatures screamed in agony and disappeared. A cry of victory sounded from the docks, waking the sleeping families in the Chantry.

Teagan was not convinced that all was well until the mayor's voice was heard through the heavy wooden door. "Bann Teagan! We are victorious!" With that, Teagan lifted the beam holding the doors closed, and the townsfolk emptied the Chantry into the town square. The men of the militia swept forward, searching for their families.

Delia tried to make her way through the crowd, searching for her party members. The first person she found was Aeden, who had followed the mayor to the chantry. Delia ran to him and jumped into his arms. He swung her in a circle, both of them laughing heartily. Delia had never been so happy to see him in her entire life, and she thanked the Maker for keeping him safe.

"Aeden, where are the others? Is everyone safe?"

"Yes, we only had one casualty in the militia, a young man who ran out onto the docks alone. You can see Sten there, to the left. His height gives him away!" He chuckled. "Morrigan is sitting on a boulder next to the path uphill. And Alistair…"

"Is right behind you!" Delia spun around to see the Templar smiling ear to ear, his eyes sparkling. She threw herself into his arms and he gave her a bear hug.

Releasing her grip on him, she put one hand on Alistair's shoulder and the other on Aeden's. "Thank the Maker you are both safe. Are you injured? What do you need?"

Aeden looked at her lovingly. "We're both fine, but I think we'd both like breakfast. After all," he looked at Alistair and winked, "our legendary appetites are screaming at us!"

Laughing at her two _boys_, she took one on each arm and led them to where Morrigan sat. Leliana joined them after locating Sten, and then Delia and Leliana brought bread and cheese to their friends and some jerky for Dusty. The group sat together, watching the happy scene in front of them as families reunited. Alistair caught Delia's eye and, smiling, moved closer to her. He reached over and grabbed her hand, then they sat together and each breathed a sigh of relief that they were together for another day.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23: The Castle

Teagan called the townsfolk to the steps of the Chantry and asked the Reverend Mother to help give thanks to the Maker for the victory over the undead as well as to acknowledge the people lost during the nights they had been fighting. After the short ceremony he asked Aeden to bring his party to the hilltop to discuss plans to get to Eamon. Teagan's eyes couldn't help but shift to Delia, who was standing next to Alistair. He noticed how she was beaming up at him, and his heart skipped. Maybe he had lost his chance with her after all, even if she was trying to be kind about it. He couldn't think about it now… he needed to find his brother and learn what was happening.

He walked to the top of the hill and spoke to Eamon's knight commander, Ser Perth. They discussed the best use of the knights, and decided they would remain at the castle gate until it could be opened from the inside. This allowed the knights to be available if there were problems in the village or if more knights returned from their quest for the Urn of the Sacred Ashes of Andraste.

As Teagan spoke to Ser Perth, Aeden was leading his group up the hill. When they reached the top, Aeden, Alistair, Delia and Dusty walked to the Bann while the others stayed back with the Redcliffe knights. Delia noticed that Teagan averted his eyes and looked toward the castle. She was sorry to see the flash of sadness on his face as he did so.

She couldn't hear what Teagan said to Aeden, but Aeden's response was clear. "That's convenient." Teagan said something about how maybe he could have gone to the castle earlier, but the conversation was interrupted by the sound of someone running toward them from the castle path. A noble woman and a guard rounded the bend in the path to the astonishment of the assembled group.

The woman was out of breath as she approached the group. "Teagan! Thank the Maker you yet live! I do not have time to explain! I slipped away from the castle as soon as I saw the battle was over, and I must return quickly. And I… need you to return with me, Teagan. Alone."

"We will need more of an explanation than that," Aeden said with a frown.

"What? I… who is this man, Teagan? "she continued.

Alistair sighed. "You remember me, Lady Isolde, don't you?"

She looked at him and her face flashed angrily. "Alistair? Of all the… what are _you_ doing here?"

"They are Grey Wardens, Isolde. I owe them my life." Teagan put his hand on Aeden's shoulder for greater emphasis.

Delia stepped forward. "You don't seem very concerned about what's happened here."

The anger Isolde seemed to have for Alistair's presence paled at the fury she showed for Delia. "Delia. You have no business being here in Redcliffe. You have been banned from these lands. I cannot believe that you would be this opportunistic and return now at these desperate times. You are most fortunate that my husband is not in a position to throw you in the dungeons. Leave now while you have a chance for escape."

Teagan's face flushed with his own anger. "Leave her alone, Isolde. Delia is a Grey Warden recruit and is only here to assist. She has my permission to remain, and should my brother take issue of it he, and _only he,_ can speak to me about my decision."

If looks could kill, Isolde would have not only killed Delia at that moment, but dismembered and cremated her as well. Delia maintained a neutral expression on her face, refusing to show Isolde any weakness.

Teagan and Aeden then continued the conversation with Isolde, trying to glean any information about Eamon as well as what had happened in the castle itself. It seemed Isolde had hired an apostate, who was referred to her by Logain, to train her son and keep secret that he was a mage. The mage had been sent specifically by Logain to poison Eamon. After the apostate was put in the dungeon, undead creatures started attacking.

Teagan agreed to return to the castle with Isolde, but asked for a moment to speak to the wardens. As she started back to the castle, Teagan led the wardens to the door of the windmill. He turned to the group and began to explain.

"Here's what I propose. I go in with Isolde and you go in using the secret passage. My signet ring unlocks the door. Perhaps I will… distract whatever evil is inside and increase your chances of getting in unnoticed. What do you say?"

Delia was horrified. "I can't let you do this. It's insane."

He spun toward her angrily. "What choice do we have? If your business with Eamon is important, you're going to have to go inside and find him."

Alistair placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, much to Teagan's dismay. "He's right. Without Arl Eamon we'll never get the support we need."

Teagan spoke to Aeden to finalize the attack plan and finished by saying, "Whatever you do, Eamon is the priority here. If you have to, just get him out of there. Isolde, me and anyone else… we're expendable."

Delia couldn't help but cry at his words. "No, Teagan. I don't believe that. We'll rescue you all; I promise."

Teagan's demeanor softened, and he sadly gave her a smile. He stepped in front of her and placed his hands on her shoulders, then kissed her on the cheek. "You are brave as well as beautiful, it seems. The Maker smiled on me indeed when he sent you to Redcliffe. If only this had been…" He sadly shook his head. "But I can delay no longer. Allow me to bid you farewell… and good luck."

He left the group and walked up the path to the castle. The wardens watched him, fearing what he would find once he was inside.

"Alright, we need to get in there quickly. Alistair, I want you, Sten and Morrigan again." Aeden started toward the windmill's door, but Delia stopped him.

"Aeden, I'm coming with you. You need me in there."

"No, Delia, I want you to be safe. I won't let you come."

"I am a Grey Warden recruit, or do I need to keep reminding you? If you never allow me into a battle situation, how am I supposed to learn how to really fight? Besides, you need someone to guide you through the castle, and I know the castle better than anyone here, even Alistair. It was only last summer that I spent a month here, and Teagan took a great deal of pride showing me everything there was to see. I can also unlock doors and chests, thanks to Leliana's patiently teaching me, and there may be places where you need someone who can sneak into tight places where you warriors can't fit."

He sighed, knowing that logically he was bested by her. "Alright, but if I tell you to get back, make sure you follow my command."

"Yes ser, I shall follow your every battle command." She smiled at him teasingly.

Since Morrigan was very tired from the last night's battle, the party took Sten with them. Aeden led the four through the secret doorway and into the castle dungeons. As they opened a door, they were confronted with a group of undead. Although she let the warriors do most of the work, Delia was able to use her blades effectively and provided the killing blow to one of the monsters. As they cleaned their blades, they heard someone calling to them from one of the cells.

They found the mage, Jowan, who Isolde hired to teach Connor. Jowan was honest with the wardens as to why he was in Redcliffe and what had happened at the castle. It seemed that a demon approached Connor in the Fade, the land of dreams, and used the control it had over the young mage to create the army of dead soldiers. Jowan realized that by helping Logain, he inadvertently helped start all the castle's troubles and he wanted to help correct his mistakes.

Aeden was not sure whether the mage could be trusted, so Delia tried to find a way to touch the mage. She noticed that he had been hit on the side of the head and the wound had been left to fester for days.

"You've been injured. Let me at least place a poultice on your head to help you heal." Delia took a poultice from her pack and reached through the cell bars. As she smoothed the herbs onto the wound, she placed her other hand on his shoulder. The images of the mage's past immediately filled her mind. _"Taken from his parents as a young child and raised in the Circle of Magi … a woman, an initiate of the Chantry, who he has fallen in love with… trying to escape from the Tower and using blood magic… caught by Templars and Logain talking to him… poisoning the Arl… Connor's desperate attempts to save his father… Jowan's capture and being thrown in the dungeon… the creatures walking everywhere…" _The last image was the view of his heart's intent. The only crime he had committed at Redcliffe was the poisoning of the Arl, and he truly wanted to redeem himself.

As Aeden spoke to Alistair about what do to with Jowan, Delia suggested they leave him in the cell and come back for him later. They would need his knowledge and skills to defeat whatever demon had overrun the castle with the undead creatures, but since he was not battle hardened it was best to keep him safe in his cell.

Delia led the men of the party through the dungeon and up through the passages of the castle. As they pressed onward they had to fight more of the undead monsters. They decided to clear all the rooms, whether they were on the path or not. When they reached the end of one hallway and opened the door to a side room, standing before them was a young woman who seemed terrified.

Aeden tried to calm her, and she told him she was the Arlessa's maid, Valena. Delia realized that she must be the smith's daughter, so she told her about the tunnel they had come through to enter the castle. With sincere thanks, Valena decided to find her way out of the castle and home to her father.

They continued through the castle, killing undead and a few minor demons as they made their way through the maze of hallways. Unfortunately, the door to the main hallway was locked with a system too sophisticated for Delia to pick open. It took the group extra time to make their way around the castle to a side door that led to the courtyard. From the courtyard they could open the gates to the castle and enter through the main doors. Looking around, Aeden noticed undead patrols throughout the yard.

Whispering, he leaned close to Delia. "Do you see over there, to the right of the gates? There is a lever to open the gates. I want you to run there as fast as you can and switch the lever so that Ser Perth and his men can help us fight. We'll keep the monsters off of you and you can start fighting with us as soon as the knights join us."

On his mark, the party ran toward the gate. Aeden, Alistair and Sten started fighting the monsters about halfway to the gate and Delia went straight to the lever. Using all her strength, she flipped the lever and the gates opened. Thankfully the knights were waiting right outside, and they joined the battle quickly. The battle was furious, but just as the warriors thought they were winning, a creature showed itself that none of them had ever seen before. The evil of the revenant seemed to enfold the very air surrounding it, and it was the most powerful creature Delia had ever seen.

Having destroyed all the undead in the courtyard, the warriors and the knights put all their strength into defeating the revenant. Delia noticed that there were archers firing at the men, so she took it upon herself to kill them. She ran to the top of the stairs of the castle entrance and used every skill taught to her to defeat the monsters. As she thrust her blade for the final time into the last remaining archer, Alistair and Aeden were finally running toward her. They saw her fighting alone after the group of men had finally defeated the revenant.

The two wardens were grinning at her from ear to ear. Alistair swept her into his arms in a huge hug while Aeden slapped her on the back.

"Well done, sister, well done! I don't think I've ever seen you so… deadly!" Aeden couldn't have been more proud of her than he was at that very moment.

Delia barely heard his words. She was exhausted from the battle, and her focus was taken up by the warden who held her in his arms. It was far more important that they were all safe, as were the knights. The battles they would have when they entered the castle would most likely be even more dangerous than what they had already faced.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Secrets Revealed

Aeden asked the knights to enter the castle with his group. Since they didn't know what they would be facing once inside, he decided it would be far better to enter with as large a number of warriors as possible. He took a deep breath to strengthen his resolve and opened the doors.

They walked into the receiving chamber, and what they saw startled them all. Isolde and Connor stood in front of the fireplace and Teagan was performing for the amused child as if he were a court jester! Delia's jaw dropped open as she saw the man she admired so much acting like a fool. He was not in his right mind.

For his part, Connor was clapping along with Teagan's dance. Isolde just stood there, head lowered as if in defeat. Connor noticed the group as they entered and as Teagan finished his performance the boy motioned for his uncle to sit on the floor at his feet.

"So, these are our visitors? The ones you told me about, Mother?" Connor's voice didn't sound normal. It was almost as if there were two voices speaking as one.

"Y-yes, Connor," Isolde answered quietly.

Connors eyes glared at Aeden. "And this is the one who defeated my soldiers? The ones I sent to reclaim my village?" Then his eyes shifted to Delia. "And now this one is staring at me. What is it, Mother? I can't see it well enough."

"This… is a woman, Connor. Just as I am…" Isolde's eyes showed her anger at Delia's presence in her home.

Connor sneered at his mother. "You lie! This woman is nothing at all like you! Why, just look at her! Half your age and pretty too! I'm surprised you don't execute her in a fit of jealousy!"

Although his comments obviously infuriated Isolde, she managed to keep her wits about her. "C-Connor, I beg you, don't hurt anyone!"

The boy's hand went to his forehead and he bent over; as he stood his voice seemed to change. "M-Mother, what… what's happening? Where am I?"

"Oh, thank the Maker! Connor! Connor, can you hear me?"

Connor's voice went back to the original timbre. "Get away from me, fool woman! You are beginning to bore me."

Ser Perth stepped forward in front of Delia. "Maker's breath! What has happened here?"

"Grey Wardens… please don't hurt my son! He's not responsible for what he does!" Isolde pleaded.

"You've been protecting him this entire time?" Aeden shook his head in disbelief.

She snapped her head to face him and continued. "Connor did not mean to do this. It was that mage, the one who poisoned Eamon—he started all this! He summoned this demon! Connor was just trying to help his father."

"It was a fair deal!" the demon/Connor snarled. "Father is alive, just as I wanted. Now it's my turn to sit on the throne and send out armies to conquer the world! Nobody tells me what to do anymore!"

Teagan threw his head back and quipped, "Nobody tells _him_ what to do! Nobody! Ha-ha!"

The demon/Connor was enraged. "Quiet, uncle. I warned you what would happen if you kept shouting didn't I? Yes I did. But let's keep things civil. This woman will have the audience she seeks. Tell us… woman, what have you come here for?"

Bravely, Delia stepped around Ser Perth. "I need to see Arl Eamon."

"So you're a concerned well-wisher. Why didn't you say that in the first place? All this sneaking around and killing is so unnecessary. But father is so very ill. We really shouldn't disturb him. Isn't that right, Mother?"

"I… I don't think…" she sputtered.

"Of course you don't!" the demon/Connor screamed. "Ever since you sent the knights away, you do nothing but deprive me of my fun. Frankly, it's getting dull. I crave excitement! And action! These people spoiled my sport by saving that stupid village and now they'll repay me!"

With that, the remaining castle guards led by Teagan himself attacked the wardens and knights. Aeden commanded that Teagan was not to be killed, but merely stunned. The demon/Connor ran out of the room, leaving Isolde cowering in the corner. The battle was furious. Delia positioned herself near Isolde in order to protect the unarmed woman. One of the guards attempted to get past Delia, but was rewarded with a slash across his throat, killing him immediately.

At the close of the battle, Delia walked to Isolde and offered her hand to help her stand up. As she grasped the Arlessa's hand, she allowed her gift to enlighten her. _"The daughter of an Orlesian noble who fell in love with a Fereldan freedom fighter because he seemed like a character from one of her romance novels… insecurity bordering on paranoia… meeting Teagan and becoming enraptured by the younger brother… jealousy whenever another woman was near Teagan; in her mind he was meant to be hers... a desperate need to be rid of Delia… placing herbs in Bann Loren's drink to alter his demeanor… watching with delight as the Loren's were banished from Redcliffe… terror on discovering her son held magic… begging Logain for help… watching as Jowan poisoned Eamon, then throwing the mage into the dungeon… the undead creatures and helplessness… Her heart is untrustworthy as she cares only for her own desires."_ Delia suddenly was infuriated. This woman had sabotaged her chance to marry Teagan and destroyed her beloved grandfather in the process! On top of that, she _knew_ that Jowan was poisoning her husband and hoped Eamon would die so she could have Teagan for herself! Isolde needed to be exposed and brought to justice for her crimes against the Lorens, the Guerrins as well as all the people of Redcliffe.

Delia was brought out of her thoughts by the sound of Isolde rushing to Teagan's side. "Teagan, Teagan, are you alright? Blessed Andraste! I would never have forgiven myself had you died, not after I brought you here. What a fool I am!"

"Yes, Isolde, you are a fool indeed. You truly thought that you would get away with all of this, didn't you?" Delia's eyes flashed with a furor she had never felt before.

"I have no idea what you are talking about, Delia. I am simply worried about Teagan." Her eyes betrayed her inner turmoil.

"You can't hide any longer, Isolde. Your secrets have been exposed. You don't seem to have any problem destroying people to get what you want."

Teagan stood and looked between Delia and Isolde. "What exactly are you accusing Isolde of doing, Delia?"

"I remember we had a very interesting conversation last summer regarding my herbology classes." She looked directly into Isolde's eyes. "You impressed me with your knowledge, specifically with herbs known to be poisonous or mind altering. If you had reason to believe that Eamon was being poisoned, you would have known exactly what to look for. I suggest we bring the mage from the dungeon and ask him questions to discover exactly what Isolde knew."

Isolde's expression went from anger to fear.

Teagan brought Jowan from the dungeon personally. When they entered the receiving hall, he started questioning the mage. "Jowan, I want you to answer my questions honestly. If you tell the truth, I shall speak to Eamon on your behalf. My first question to you is did you poison my brother?"

Jowan looked at the floor. "I did, but it was at the request of Teryn Logain. He told me that your brother was a threat to Fereldan and if I dealt with him Logain would settle matters at the Circle of Magi for me. I am an apostate… a blood mage."

"Did Isolde know you were poisoning Eamon?"

"She walked in when I was adding the poison plants to his tea. It was soon after I had started to use them on the Arl, and he was showing signs of being ill. She started to put her hands out as if to stop me and her mouth opened, but then she pulled her hands back, took a deep breath and just said hello to me. She seemed to calm so quickly, and almost smile… it was… odd."

Teagan kept a calm expression on his face, but his feelings were betrayed by a furrow in his brow. "Did Eamon know that Connor was a mage?"

"No, the Arlessa was adamant that he _not_ be told. She said that he would do the 'right thing' and send Connor away, to the Circle of Magi. The thought of losing her child seemed to be destroying her. I never said a word to Eamon. As far as he knew, I was simply a regular tutor for his son."

Teagan turned to his sister-in-law. "Isolde, I would like to know why you kept Connor's abilities from Eamon, but more importantly I want to know why you allowed him to be poisoned! What do you have to say for yourself?"

"He would have sent Connor away, don't you understand? I couldn't lose my son."

"That doesn't explain why you would allow him to be poisoned. If you have knowledge of poisons you would surely have recognized the symptoms and summoned a healer. And then if Jowan's accusations are true and you actually caught him in the act of making the poisoned tea, why in the Maker's name would you not save Eamon?"

"You would not understand, Teagan. You are not a woman."

Delia snarled at her. "Then explain it to _me_, Isolde. I think that I know your reasoning."

"Oh, is that so, Delia? Then enlighten us, _please_," Isolde sniped back.

"You want to marry Teagan yourself."

"You're mad!" Teagan was shocked at her accusation. "Isolde and Eamon have been happily married for years."

"Teagan, think about last summer. Remember how it seemed that every time we turned around Isolde was there? How she would monopolize the conversation and maneuver herself to stand between us? Eamon even noticed and was getting annoyed with her. The only time we had alone was once Eamon started to pull her away from us. She was so angry when we were going to have the banquet… remember how rude she was greeting my parents?"

Teagan sadly nodded his head. Everything she said was correct.

"Teagan, I believe that she used herbs to disrupt my father's behavior. I heard rumors that she was… going to do something to ruin the night. Her herbal knowledge is vast and there are many local plants which when brewed in the correct manner…"

"She was not good enough for you, Teagan." Isolde's eyes were infuriated. "You deserve so much better. You and I… think of the babies we could have together. You are much more handsome than your brother ever was. Did you not ever think of what we could do together?"

Teagan was shocked. "Isolde, you are my _sister-in-law_. In my mind, there has never been any thought to your being anything closer to me than that. You disgust me! My brother deserves a wife who appreciates him, not one who conspires against him. He will learn about your betrayals." He turned to Jowan. "Jowan, are you responsible for the abominations that have overrun the castle?"

Jowan shook his head. "No, Bann Teagan. I swear, I did not summon them. A demon approached Connor in the fade, and he made a bargain with it. The demon is creating the monsters."

"What do we do to stop the demon?" Teagan's face was filled with sadness.

Jowan thought before he answered, trying to answer as gently as he could. "The easiest way to do that would be to kill Connor, but there is another way. A mage could confront the demon in the Fade, without hurting Connor himself."

"What do you mean?

Jowan explained how the demon controlled Connor from the Fade, rather than from within his actual body. A ritual could be performed to send a mage into the fade using the power of either lyrium potions and the spells of several mages, or blood magic. The advantage of the blood magic would be that they could perform the ritual immediately; however the power required would mean draining someone of all their life energy. Someone would have to die.

Teagan was shocked. "So… someone must die? Someone must be sacrificed?"

"Yes, and then we send another mage into the Fade. I can't enter because I'm doing the ritual. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything. It's… not much of an option…"

Aeden looked concerned. "Is there no other method?"

Jowan shook his head. "The power has to come from somewhere, and that means either lyrium… or blood."

Isolde suddenly straightened her back and brushed wrinkles from her dress. "Then let it be my blood. I will be the sacrifice."

Teagan was furious. "What? Isolde, are you mad? Eamon would never allow this."

"Either someone kills my son to destroy that thing inside him or I give my life so my son can live. To me the answer is clear."

"Blood magic. How can more evil be of any help here? Two wrongs don't make a right." Alistair shook his head in disbelief.

"Connor is blameless in this. He should not have to pay the price." Isolde seemed convinced her death was the only choice.

"There must be another way to enter the Fade." Delia did not want Isolde to die, at least not before Eamon had a chance to dole out her punishment.

"You can find lyrium and more mages at the circle of Magi - if they would even do it." Alistair looked thoughtful.

Delia nodded. "The Circle Tower isn't far from here… and one of the treaties is for the Circle of Magi after all."

Teagan's eyes lit up with hope. "The tower is about a day's journey from here across the lake. You could attempt to get the mages' help."

Isolde was incensed. "But what will happen here? Connor will not remain passive forever!"

Delia looked her square in the eye with all the fury she could muster. "I will take that chance."

Teagan ignored Isolde and spoke again to Delia. "I will keep Jowan here as a precaution. He says he wants to help, so he will keep an eye on Connor with us." His eyes softened as he looked at Delia, his unspoken thoughts of regret communicated clearly. "Go to the tower quickly, then. The longer you are away, the greater the chances of disaster."

"We will need some supplies. May we gather what we need?" Aeden started to make a mental list.

"Of course, my friends. Let's go to Eamon's study to write a list for the servants." Teagan led the group down the short hallway to the study. In the hall, animated suits of armor attacked the group. Amazingly, the enchanted armor was surprisingly strong, and it took both the wardens' group along with Ser Perth and his knights to defeat them. As soon as they finished the four enchanted creatures, Teagan opened the door to the study only to be attacked by more undead creatures. Again, with the help of the knights, the creatures were quickly vanquished.

Teagan led Aeden, Alistair and Delia into the study. After Teagan took a piece of parchment and a quill from the desk drawer, Delia noticed something else that caught the light of the fire. She pushed aside another paper and found an amulet with the symbol of Andraste. The crystal on the front had been broken off and repaired. Could this be the amulet Alistair had told her about? She quickly put the amulet into her bag before the men would notice. Once the men completed the list of supplies, Teagan handed it to one of the few remaining servants and within a half hour the party had plenty of food for their trip.

Alistair and Aeden went to the courtyard to assemble the rest of their party, but Teagan asked Delia to remain for a moment. She agreed, much to Alistair's dismay, and he shot her a worried look before he took his leave.

Teagan shut the door behind them, and taking a deep breath he looked into Delia's eyes. "My dear, I had no idea the lengths Isolde pursued to ruin our happiness. I can't tell you how sorry I am. Can you forgive me for being so stupid?"

"You were not stupid, Teagan. Neither of us realized her behavior was purposeful." She placed her hand on his arm to comfort him."

"Nonetheless, we could have been happily married by now, had it not been for her. Please, reconsider marrying me. I can't think of any other woman that I could be content with. I… need you, Delia."

She looked at him sadly, not wanting to hurt him any more than he had been already. "Teagan, you know that I can't make any promises to anyone, not until the Blight is over. I gave my word to Duncan – to the Grey Wardens."

"_And yet you seem to be very… cozy with Alistair,"_ Teagan fumed. He didn't want to lose this woman again, and yet he didn't have a choice but to wait. "Then I shall wait for you. I wish I could convince you otherwise, but I understand your duty to the wardens. Please, travel safely. May the Maker watch over you."

"And you as well, Teagan. We will be back here as soon as possible with the mages."

Teagan lifted her hand to his lips and gave her a kiss goodbye and then she quickly walked out of the castle to her group. Almost as soon as she arrived, the party gathered their packs and started their journey north, to the Circle of Magi.


	25. Chapter 25

_Wow! I can't believe I've hit the 25 chapter mark! Hope you are still enjoying the story - there's a long way to go yet!_

Chapter 25: Memories

Walking along the northern path was helping to calm Delia. After everything that happened at Redcliffe, she had been furious. The atrocities committed by Isolde disgusted her. Two of the men she cared about the most, Alistair and Teagan, had been manipulated by Isolde's narcissism and their lives nearly destroyed. As the party walked under the massive oak trees, Delia tried to allow the crisp air to envelope her and whisk away her tension.

The views of Lake Calenhad were spectacular from this road. The path wound through the mountains to the west of the lake with the water reflecting the sun as if there were a million diamonds strewn across its surface. Delia was very familiar with the road, as it was the main route between her father's house and Redcliffe. There were plenty of campsites that were well used by travelers and merchants, and she was hoping they would be able to camp that night at her favorite spot. It was located just north of where the road passed down to lake level and crossed a river. The most beautiful waterfall was just west of the campsite, and Delia loved to swim in the small cove underneath.

Luck was with her, as they were nearly at the site late in the afternoon when Aeden started to search for a place to stop for the night. Delia took the opportunity to tell him about the campsite, and as it was only a half hour's longer walk he decided they would camp there.

Once they arrived at the site, Delia felt refreshed. She could hear the waterfall from the road, and the sound brought back fond memories of camping there with her grandfather and brother when they traveled together. She could almost see her brother running between the trees, teasing her in their own game of catch-me-if-you-can! Once her tent was ready, she sat back and simply enjoyed her memories while the other members of the party had their turns at performing the camp chores.

Deciding he wanted something other than stew for dinner, Aeden convinced Alistair to go fishing with him. It didn't take long before the wardens returned with plenty of trout for everyone which they roasted over the camp fire. Leliana collected wild asparagus and the meal was such a success that even Morrigan joined them at the fire. Delia felt blessed by the Maker to have such wonderful company. She was growing very close to all of her companions and truly enjoyed the easy banter she shared with Leliana and Morrigan. Sten was the only member of the party who didn't speak easily, but when he did talk he spoke with a wisdom and insight that always surprised them all. It was amazing that such an odd assortment of people could become so close in such a short time, and Delia couldn't help but smile at her good fortune to be a part of this group.

Before the sun went down, Delia asked Alistair to take a walk with her. She led him to the waterfall, and they sat on a large, flat boulder next to the cove.

"This was always one of my favorite places. Grandfather would have us camp here when he would bring Dairren and me to visit with Arl Eamon. Dairren and I would swim here; sometimes Grandfather would allow us to stay at this camp for several days just so that we could swim in the cove for hours at a time."

Her wistful smile made his heart skip. She just looked so… content. Alistair took her hand in his and brushed his lips across the knuckles.

"I'm glad we were able to stop here, if for no other reason than seeing your pleasure. I like to see you smile. It makes everything better – almost like a plateful of cheese!" He grinned at her teasingly.

"Well, I certainly hope that at least I _smell_ better than some of those cheeses. Ugh… I remember having some sort of Riviani cheese while in Antiva. You could smell it from twenty paces and the stench was horrible!" Her eyes glinted in mischief.

The tone in Alistair's voice dropped seductively. "Oh, there is no cheese that smells better than you. You smell like roses and lavender, and you definitely are far prettier."

"You flatter me, Alistair. And here I thought that nothing could get between you and your cheeses."

"I would abandon my cheese any day for you, dear lady." He moved closer to her and started to bend his head closer to hers.

Delia suddenly jerked up. "Oh, wait a second… there is something I completely forgot about." She reached into her bag and searched through it, frowning until her hands located the object she was trying to find. She pulled her hand from the bag, took his hand and turned it palm side up, then placed the object into his grasp.

Looking at the object in his hands he was suddenly overwhelmed with emotion. "This… this is my mother's amulet. It has to be. But why isn't it broken? Where did you find it?"

"I found it in Redcliffe Castle. In the study."

He was puzzled. "The Arl's study? Then he must have… found the amulet after I threw it at the wall. And he repaired it and kept it? I don't understand, why would he do that?"

"Maybe he meant to give it back to you." Delia smiled warmly at him.

"Maybe he did. He might even have brought it with him one of those times he came to see me at the monastery… not that I would have given him a chance, as belligerent as I was to him." He paused for a second and breathed deeply, then looked at Delia, his eyes betraying the deep emotions he felt. "Thank you. I mean it… I thought I'd lost this to my own stupidity. I'll need to talk to him about this. If he recovers from his… when he recovers that is. I wish I'd had this a long time ago."

A different look crossed Alistair's face. He realized that Delia actually _thought_ about _him_ – but he was a _nobody_! She couldn't have _actually_ remembered their conversation, could she?

Softly, he spoke again. "Did you remember me mentioning it? Wow. I'm more used to people not listening when I go on about things."

She looked into his eyes and took his hand gently. "Of course I remembered. You're special to me."

"Is this the part where the music starts and we begin dancing? Because I'm game." His eyes sparkled mischievously. "Where's the minstrels?"

Now it was Delia's turn to be mischievous. "I think I can arrange that!" She stood up, took his hand, and ran back to camp laughing. They found Aeden and Leliana sitting at the fire with Dusty. Sten was cleaning his armor and Morrigan was in her tent.

Delia ran to Leliana, laughing and out of breath. "Leli, would you play your lute for us? We need music to dance to."

"WHAT?" Alistair was suddenly petrified. He didn't really know how to dance.

"You asked for minstrels and dancing and I happen to know that Leli has a lute in her pack and plays quite well! You can't say no to me… you specifically asked for this." Her eyes teased him mercilessly.

Leliana couldn't help but laugh. "Of course I will play for you. What would you like? Perhaps some Antivan courting dances?" She winked at Alistair.

"Maker's breath! I'm lucky I even know the Remigold, but I can't even dance that well!" He looked for a way to escape.

"The Remigold it is then, but you will have to learn other dances as well, my friend. You can't expect to properly court a lady if you cannot dance! Consider yourself to be my new project! Oooh, we'll have such fun!" Leliana began to tune the lute, her eyes teasing the Templar, and soon the jovial strains of the Remigold were flooding the campsite.

Delia took Alistair's hands and led him in the steps of the dance. The two were frolicking from one side of camp to the other, with Alistair periodically spinning Delia. His initial reluctance to dance was replaced with genuine exuberance, and he was grinning ear to ear while he laughed along with Delia. He loved seeing her so carefree, and it was wonderful to forget all their troubles for a while.

Aeden was enjoying the performance in front of him. He clapped along to the beat and laughed whenever Alistair stumbled in his steps. When the dance was finished, he found that Delia was ready to take revenge for the Templar. She grabbed Aeden's hands and made him dance an Orlesian children's dance with her. His mother had taught it to them as young children, and Delia knew how much he despised being forced to dance! The feigned look of disgust on Aeden's face at the parts of the dance where he had to actually put his hands on Delia's waist made all four of them laugh openly.

Once they were all finally exhausted they decided to retire for the night. Aeden and Leliana took the first watch. They would wake Sten and Dusty in a few hours, and Delia and Alistair would take the late shift and would start cooking breakfast. Before long the camp was quiet, and Aeden found himself looking at the stars.

"I remember my father teaching me how to navigate by the stars. I always loved lying in a field, figuring out the constellations with him and my brother. Now I realize how special those times were, now that they're both… gone." He looked down, refusing to allow any tears to flow.

Leliana put her arm around his waist. "There is a story I learned when I was a young girl. The short version of the story is that the stars are our ancestors, looking down upon us. They watch us as we sleep, and try to influence our decisions through our dreams in the Fade. The next time you see a shooting star, maybe it will be the soul of one of your lost family, finding their place in the sky."

Aeden looked at her with a smile. She was warm against him, and it felt good to have her so close, especially given how chilly it was that evening. He took the opportunity to put his arm around her shoulder, and they sat there, comfortable in each other's company, until it was time to wake the next watch.

As he entered his tent, he turned around to watch her as she went to her tent. There was definitely something different about the Orlesian; something special about her. He made a mental note to start asking her more about her background. She was intriguing in a way that he never had found any other woman to be. With a sigh, he entered his tent and lay on his bedroll, noticing how cold he was now that she wasn't next to him anymore. He fell asleep thinking about her, hoping he would have another evening with her held close.


	26. Chapter 26

_Sorry this chapter is so long - I didn't want to break it up._

Chapter 26: The Circle

The second leg of the trip to the Circle of Magi was relatively easy. The only other people the group ran into were two separate merchants. Aeden didn't buy anything, as the warden's coin purse was far lighter that he would like, but the one merchant gifted him an interesting object. Apparently, the short wooden branch with the gem encrusted in the end was a control rod for a golem that was standing unused in a town to the south named Honnleath. Aeden made a mental note to visit the town whenever it was on their route.

When they reached the docks across from the tower, Aeden sent the group into the inn for a drink while he tried to arrange for the small boat to take part of the group across the lake. In the inn, Alistair ordered drinks for each group member and arranged for rooms for the night. It wouldn't be fancy, but each would have their own sleeping pallet, and two rooms wouldn't deplete their funds very much.

Aeden joined them in the tavern and over their ales explained he learned that there was something wrong in the tower and a Templar was the acting boatman, having taken the responsibility away from the regular man, Kester. It had taken nearly threatening the man, but they had passage for four. Aeden intended to take Alistair, Delia and Sten with him, and Leliana and Morrigan would remain in the inn with the majority of their provisions and the mabari.

Once they finished their drinks, the four said their goodbyes and walked to the dock. The Templar, Carroll, was very nervous, feeling as though he would be in trouble with his commander, Greagoir, whether he brought the warden group to the tower or refused. Aeden ignored his mutterings as they crossed the dark lake. The water seemed to be full of magic in its own right, and Aeden almost believed what Kester mentioned about the mages dumping the water full of unused potions.

Once the boat was tied successfully outside the tower, Aeden stepped onto the dock first. He helped his companions disembark, taking special care with Delia, as her legs were shorter and it was more difficult for her to get over the boat's side. They walked together toward the huge wooden doors of the tower. There was something ominous about the entrance, and the three humans felt an evil presence.

Inside the doors there were several Templars. Greagoir was obvious, as he stood in the center of the room, the only Templar not wearing a helm. His face was lined with wrinkles, no doubt from years of worrying about the mages under his watch.

Aeden introduced himself and his companions to the Templar Commander. Greagoir was not impressed by having more Grey Wardens seeking help at the tower, but knew they had the right to do so. Unfortunately, he had bad news for Aeden – the tower had been taken over by abominations and he didn't believe there were any survivors. He had sealed the doors to the tower to prevent the demons from escaping, and had sent word to Denerim to get help in destroying whatever demons remained inside. It was his judgement that anything remaining in the tower needed to be killed to be certain that no demons escaped. The wardens were shocked – they believed that there had to be survivors and so Aeden volunteered their assistance to save whoever they could. Greagoir agreed, and so the party made their way to the tower doors. The Templar guarding the doors opened them for the party, then immediately sealed them behind the group.

The hallway in front of them led to several dormitory style rooms. Corpses were strewn about on the floor. Aeden led the way through the rooms, making certain they destroyed every demon without missing any. As they reached a large meeting hall, they found several mages and children. The elder mage was fighting a rage demon, and as soon as it was vanquished she turned her gaze on the wardens, her staff pointed at them protectively.

"Stop right there! Take another step and I swear I will strike you down where you stand!"

Aeden put his hands up in reassurance. "Calm down. I'm not going to do anything."

"I am Wynne, mage of the Circle, and these children are under my protection. Who are you and what is your purpose here? Have the Templars opened the door? Speak quickly—I'll have no games."

Aeden bowed slightly to the mage. "I am a Grey Warden, and I seek the help of the mages."

The elderly mage frowned. "And you were told the Circle was in no shape to help you, I suppose. So why did the Templars let you in? Do they plan to attack the tower now?"

"No, they are waiting for reinforcements."

The mage lowered her staff and sighed. "So Greagoir thinks the Circle is beyond hope. He probably assumes we are all dead." She turned to look at the other woman mage. "They abandoned us to our fate, but even trapped as we are, we survived. If they invoke the Right, however, we will not be able to stand against them."

Aeden looked around. It was obvious that the children were terrified and the adult mages were on guard. "What happened here?" he asked Wynne.

"Let it suffice to say we had something of a revolt on our hands, led by a mage named Uldred. When he returned from the battle at Ostagar, he tried to take over the Circle. As you can see, it didn't work out as he had planned. I don't know what became of Uldred, but I am certain this is his doing. I will not lose the Circle to one man's pride and stupidity."

Aeden nodded knowingly. "Leave it to me. I will save the mages."

Wynne shook her head and explained that she erected a barrier to keep the children safe from the demons inside the tower. The only way she would dispel the barrier would be if Aeden agreed to join with her to save the Circle by killing the demons and leading out all the survivors. He agreed, believing her advanced magic abilities would be of great use alongside Alistair's Templar abilities to weaken the demons' own magic.

Looking at the faces of the innocent children in the room, he was worried. "Will the children be safe here?"

Wynne nodded. "Petra and Kinnon will watch them. If we slay all the fiends we encounter on our way, none will get by to threaten the children."

Aeden frowned. "I would feel better leaving someone with blades here. Delia, I want you to remain as part of their defense. Please stay alert – I fully intend to kill every demon in the tower, but sometimes they can hide in small crevices."

Delia was not happy to be left behind, but knew she had no choice. Aeden needed to bring Alistair and Sten for the power and stamina they both had. There could be hundreds of demons in the tower, and she would not be able to match their fortitude. She would, however, be able to fight one demon at a time, with the help of the mages.

While Wynne spoke to her mages and then said her goodbyes to the children, warmly reassuring them of their safety and telling them to be certain to sleep, the warden group spoke on the far side of the room. Aeden and Alistair talked about battle strategies utilizing magic, and how Delia could use the two mages she would be left with to her advantage. After their hurried conversation, they said their goodbyes. Delia hugged Aeden, telling her "brother" to be careful, and then she hugged Sten, who stood stiffly while enduring the human's show of affection.

Finally she turned to Alistair. She reached up to hug him and whispered in his ear, "Be careful and come back to me safely." He looked at her and grinned, and then he lowered his head and kissed her on the forehead. "I have a lot of reasons to return safely. We'll be back soon."

The two wardens and Sten joined Wynne at the barrier. The mage waved her staff, and saying words that were barely audible she removed the barrier. The four of them walked down the hallway and disappeared around a corner.

Delia sighed, resigned to being left behind again. As she stood there, looking into the now empty hallway, she felt a tug at her sleeve. A young girl looked up at her with wonder in her eyes.

"Are you a Grey Warden too?" asked the child.

Delia chuckled. "Not yet, but I am a recruit. I hope that I'll be able to be a full warden soon."

A young boy stood nearby. "See, I _told_ you she wasn't a warden. Boys are wardens, 'cause boys are better than girls at everything – even casting spells!"

"That's not true! And just because she isn't a warden yet doesn't mean there aren't girl wardens. Aren't there girl wardens?" she looked longingly at Delia.

"Of course there are girlwardens. Did you ever hear any stories about Sophia Dryden? She was the Warden Commander of all of Ferelden." The children shook their heads. "Well, why don't you two sit with me here against the pillar and I'll tell you about how she became the Commander of the Grey."

Delia sat against the pillar and had the children surround her in a circle. Reaching into the back of her memories, Delia recounted every bit of history she could remember from her lessons. The children hung onto her every word while Petra and Kinnon kept watch. The third mage, Keili, seemed to be distracted and stood in a corner of the room, wringing her hands while reciting the Chant of Light.

After finishing the story of Sophia Dryden, Delia decided to tell the story of Syrendia, the Tevinter mage who discovered the means to cast earthquake spells. Her discovery led to her being named the First Enchanter of Tevinter hundreds of years earlier. As she was nearing the end of that story, the children were yawning. The fear and anxiety of the past days were quickly catching up with them. Petra and Delia brought the children to mattresses lined up against the wall across from where the barrier had been, and tucked the children in for what they hoped would be a good night's sleep.

The adults moved back to where the barrier had been. Everything in the hallways beyond seemed to be quiet, and they allowed themselves to relax a bit. Petra began to talk with Delia, asking if she had been at Ostagar. They talked about the battle, comparing notes of Delia's experience and what Wynne had told her friends. Kinnon joined them when they started comparing notes on life in the tower compared to Delia's school. Delia felt it was terribly sad that the mages were not permitted to leave the tower. There was so much to see in the world, and so many things that could be learned only through experience.

Kinnon found himself impressed with the warden recruit. She was very knowledgeable about the schools of magic as well as studies that had been conducted on the fade by mages in the previous century. He had never met a non-mage who had any appreciation for magic; most of the time non-mages only feared magic. Of course, the Chantry's teachings on magic didn't help the image of mages, nor did the fact that mages were all hidden away in the tower have any effect on alleviating their fears. He found himself becoming more and more intrigued with her as the evening passed.

Delia noticed Kinnon's growing interest. It was difficult to not notice, the way his eyes began to move from her eyes down to her very toes. He seemed to be taking in every detail of her body, and she felt very self-conscious. When Petra decided to take a nap, Delia was left with him, somewhat alone.

He cleared his throat nervously before he spoke to her. "I've never met anyone like you before, Delia. Most people avoid mages as if they suffered from a contagious disease, yet you seem to know a great deal about the history and studies of magic. You are… fascinating."

"Thank you, you flatter me. I've always had an interest in magic and the ways different cultures view the mage abilities. It's a shame our Chantry has such a narrow minded view. I believe there should be a more moderate view, more along the way the Dalish treat mages in their midst, but certainly not the way the Tevinter elevated their mages to an almost god-like status. There is no reason for mages to be treated as lesser beings."

He smiled at her. She was a true scholar, much as he was. His favorite pastime was reading in the library, and from what she had told them about her school it seemed that she enjoyed reading as much as he did. His interest in her grew quickly, especially because on top of her intellect, she was quite pretty.

"Perhaps when this is over, we could… spend some time together? I would love to show you the tower's library. You would certainly find many volumes of interest. And I would truly love to be able to see you. We don't have many visitors to the tower, but I'm sure you would be allowed since you are part of the wardens."

Delia looked at him. His eyes were begging for her to say yes, to have hope that he would have someone to share his interests, but she knew she couldn't agree. "You are a very interesting person as well, Kinnon. Perhaps someday my travels will bring me back here, but for now the only thing I can focus on is defeating the Blight. I hope you understand, but you do have my word that should I come here again I will definitely look for you." She smiled warmly, trying to lessen the hurt in his eyes.

"As you wish, Delia. I do hope that we will see each other in the future." His eyes averted to the hallway in front of them. "I hope that we _have _a future."

Delia sighed. "It has been many hours since they went into the tower. I have to admit, I'm worried about them. How long would it take to check each room without battling anything, do you have any idea?"

Kinnon chuckled. "Would you believe I actually had to do that not long ago? The Templars had just brought Jayden, the youngest boy over there," he pointed at the sleeping children, "to the tower, and he made a run for it! We had to search the entire tower, top to bottom, checking every cabinet, closet, nook and cranny! It took us about five hours, if I remember properly."

Seeing the light that was creeping into the window, Delia thought they must have been waiting for ten hours already. Were they even alive? She tried to shake off her negative feelings and stay positive. The three men were all highly skilled, and Alistair had some experience with demons. Surely Wynne had experience as well.

Petra woke and walked to Keili to wake her as well. The two took over the watch from Delia and Kinnon, giving them a chance to get some much needed sleep. Delia dozed off and on for several hours, and then roused when she noticed the sun in the window seemed to be at a midday point. Petra and Keili had given the children some dried fruit, but there wasn't much to go around so Delia took out whatever food she had in her pack. She shared the dried jerky and fruit while saving the nuts for later.

As she started to tear into her strip of jerky, they heard a commotion coming down the hallway. Keili rounded the children up and kept them along the far wall while Petra, Kinnon and Delia readied themselves for battle. The clattering was coming closer, and Delia thought it sounded like armor.

Relief flooded to her face when she saw her wardens turn the corner of the hallway with an elderly man supported between them. Delia and Petra ran to them, and they helped the man sit while Petra performed healing magic on him. Wynne took the opportunity to introduce Delia to Irving, the First Enchanter of the Circle of Magi. After she shook the man's hand, she looked to her friends. They all seemed to be alright, although they were exhausted. There was another man with them, a Templar, who Wynne introduced as Cullen. He was withdrawn and fearful, and Delia assumed he must have been traumatized by what he had experienced.

Aeden was anxious to get back to Greagoir, so he helped Irving back up and started toward the sealed doors. Once at the great doors, Sten bashed the hilt of his sword against them to alert the Templars that the group had arrived. The doors slowly opened, revealing the few Templars able to fight holding their swords at the ready. When Greagoir noticed Irving, he ordered the Templars to stand down.

Delia stood back while the men discussed the status of the tower and the wardens' need for assistance. She watched the body language of the three warriors. Sten and Aeden seemed to be tired, but otherwise to be none the worse for wear. Alistair was distant. He wouldn't look at her at all, and she grew concerned that something must have happened to him.

Delia overheard Wynne ask Irving permission to travel with the wardens and earn his consent. It certainly would be a good idea to have a battle experienced mage with them, especially since Wynne had battled darkspawn at Ostagar. Aeden asked Irving to provide mages and lyrium to help save Connor, to which he also readily agreed.

They decided Irving and his mages would travel separately and meet the wardens at Redcliffe Castle. Aeden led his people back to the waiting boat for the journey back across the lake to the tavern. Alistair sat in the bow of the boat, looking straight ahead for the entire length of the lake. His demeanor made Delia very nervous, and she looked at Aeden. He took her hand and nodded, saying without words that he would explain as soon as they could speak alone.

Once they docked, the group walked to the tavern. Leliana and Morrigan were having drinks in the downstairs room. Dusty ran to his master and nearly knocked him over, causing Leliana to laugh out loud! Aeden asked about the status of the rooms, arranging with the tavern keeper for another night. Alistair abruptly went to the room assigned to the three men leaving Delia stunned.

Aeden took Delia's hand. "Walk with me." He opened the door, and the two walked along the lakefront.

"Aeden, what happened up there? Why is Alistair so… so distant and cold?"

He looked at her sadly. "I think it started when we found a Templar who was bewitched by a desire demon. The Templar wanted a wife and family, and the demon used that to… feed… off him. We felt it was more humane to kill the poor man outright than to allow him to live a lie."

She nodded in agreement. "But surely that wouldn't cause him to be so terribly affected?"

"No, it was something that happened later. The four of us were enthralled by a sloth demon. It created a prison of sorts in the Fade. Each of us were placed on a separate… island, and either trapped by something traumatic that happened or by something that we desperately wished for. I was lucky. The demon thought that by recreating Duncan and trying to make me believe we had defeated all the remaining darkspawn in the world that I would be satisfied to just… exist. I had a strange feeling that something wasn't right, and fought it. I had to… defeat Duncan… in order to escape my prison. It was a far more obvious fiction than our friends.

Sten was back with his Qunari comrades, the ones that were killed by the darkspawn before he lost his sword. He also realized that the world was phony, as he remembered their deaths all too well. His escape was quick, once I made him realize that as nice as it was to see his phony companions, the sloth demon had simply created another cell for him.

Wynne was in a prison of despair. She was in a place filled with dead mages of the tower, feeling as though she had failed them all. I had to convince her that she, as a mage, should be able to recognize the Fade for what it is. Once I convinced her to take time away from that place, she quickly came to her senses as well."

Aeden stopped walking and took both of Delia's hands in his. "Alistair's prison was the most difficult. Let's sit here for a moment." He led her to a flat topped boulder at the lake's edge and they sat facing each other. "Alistair was put in a prison of desire. Just like the Templar we had saved earlier, Alistair's prison was based on the family he wants so desperately. His sister, Goldanna, and her children were there, as was his… wife."

Delia quickly drew in her breath, and her eyes looked pained. Aeden quickly noticed and continued. "No, Delia, it wasn't like that at all. There is no other woman in his life. His wife was… you. In this dream of his, you had several children, and he doted on all of you as if you were the most precious objects imaginable. He was so… happy… I felt terrible to remove him from his dream. When he realized that he was fooled by the demon, he was despondent. He felt weak, as if he didn't have control of his own mind. He was also embarrassed to show me just how deep his feelings are for you. Alistair doesn't feel… worthy… of you, or your love."

Aeden put his hand up to brush off the tear that was starting down her cheek. "You need to be extra gentle with him, Delia. He doesn't know how to have the family he so desperately wants and needs, and he certainly doesn't want to appear weak to you. It's you that is keeping him going after losing the wardens and Duncan; he is so afraid to lose you or your respect that this experience is tearing him up inside."

She nodded at Aeden. "I think I need to speak to him, alone. He is such a good man and he needs to understand that he actually deserves more than I could ever give to him. He will be king, and I am not of high enough standing to be worthy of _him_."

He took her face between his two hands. "Delia, what Alistair needs is not a wife dictated to him by protocol. He needs someone he can love and trust. You are _almost_ a Cousland, especially now that we've adopted each other. You both deserve to marry for love. Don't allow anyone else to destroy what you have."

They walked slowly back to the tavern, and once inside Aeden gently pushed her to the stairs after making certain the rest of their party was downstairs. Delia walked quickly up the stairs, as quietly as she could in order to not attract the attention of her companions, and walked to the last door on the right. She knocked on the door, and Alistair opened it. He looked at her in surprise.

"I'm… I'm not really up to company right now. Please understand." He tried to shut the door, but she put her hand out to stop him.

"Alistair, please talk to me. Aeden explained what happened, and I think you deserve to know a few things."

She gently pushed her way past him, and he shut the door behind her. As he turned around away from the door, she nearly threw herself into his arms and kissed him, passionately. He was so surprised he nearly fell over, had it not been for the door behind him, but then he returned the kiss. When they finally broke the kiss, they looked into each other's eyes.

"Delia, I… I…"

She put her finger against his lips to shush him. "Alistair, I never want to hear you say that you are not worthy of me. _Not ever_. If anything, I'm not worthy of your new standing at the Landsmeet. Aeden reminded me of something very important. We are _both_ worthy of love, and if the Maker has seen fit to make it our destiny to be together, then that is what we have to _fight for_. Let's make a pact – neither of us will allow the other to feel any less entitled to happiness than any other person. We need to see where the Maker's path will take us, and not allow our pasts to cloud our futures."

He looked into her eyes and pulled her close to him, kissing her again. She didn't pull away, and he felt more at ease. Maybe she was right. Maybe the Maker had a plan for the two of them after all. Who was he to question the Maker, after all? Breaking the kiss, he smiled at her and put his hand against her cheek.

"Well, who am I to say no to such a beautiful lady?" He kissed her once again.

"Good. Maybe you should listen to me more often then." She looked at him mischievously. "Now, if you would be so kind to join me, I am _starving_ and would love to find out if they might have some cheese hiding somewhere."

He kissed her forehead, then took her hand in his and opened the door. "I knew you were a woman after my own heart," he said with a chuckle. The two walked down to the dining room hand in hand; ready to face whatever future the Maker had in store for them.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27: Old Friend

After a very comfortable night's rest, at least compared to life on the road, the wardens led their group southward. The day was perfect for traveling with the sun bright and the air crisp without being cold. Aeden took note of the conversations going on around him. He expected Delia and Alistair to be paired off, but the two that he was confounded by was Morrigan and Wynne.

He thought it was incredibly odd that the two mages were deep in conversation. They couldn't be more opposite from each other, with Wynne being the epitome of a disciplined mage of the Circle and Morrigan's disdain of those mages she felt were willingly caged. The two seemed to actually enjoy each other's company and were busy discussing various healing methods.

They walked along until it was nearing midday, when suddenly a woman ran toward them. She told them her wagon was attacked and there were wounded. Aeden called to Alistair, Sten and Wynne, and the four ran ahead of the party toward the wagon to attend to the wounded and fend off any remaining bandits. As Delia continued forward with Morrigan, Leliana and Dusty, she watched as a huge tree fell, barring the path. Something was wrong, and she had to get to the others quickly.

Dropping her pack, she ran to the tree and climbed up the steep hill above it. Reaching the path above the fallen tree, she saw several archers shooting at her friends. She melded as best she could into the shadows and attacked the archers, one by one. As soon as she could, she ran down the path towards her companions, who were questioning an elf.

As she grew close to Aeden and Alistair, she looked at the elf's face. Recognition swept over her instantaneously – it was the elf that had saved her on the ship! As Aeden raised his sword to kill the man, she threw herself in front of him.

"No, Aeden! Don't kill him!"

"Get out of the way. He tried to kill us – he was hired by Logain himself."

"No, Aeden. Even if he was hired by Logain it wasn't his doing. He is an Antivan Crow – he has no say in what contracts are created."

Aeden lowered his sword and looked puzzled. "But why do you care? Why allow him to live another day, just so he can try to kill us again?"

She shook her head. "He saved my life, Aeden. Please…"

The elf looked up at her and frowned. "Lady Delia? That is you, yes? What are you doing here?"

She looked at the elf and sighed. "I am a Grey Warden recruit. I… suppose your contract intended to kill me as well."

The elf looked confused. "But my lady, you are no warden. And where is your handsome brother? Why isn't he at your side?"

Delia's face darkened. "My brother is dead, along with Aeden's family and staff, at the hands of Rendon Howe."

"That man, Howe, assisted Logain with this contract. Mi querida, you know my contract for your safety supersedes any contract that was agreed to later. I cannot believe the Crows didn't see the overlap. My deepest apologies, Grey Wardens." He looked deeply into her eyes. "And my apologies to you as well, mi amor. It seems I did not live up to my contract with Salvatore."

"No, my friend, your contract was to deliver us both safely to my mother. How could you know our lives were in danger in our own homeland? I will not allow you to take the blame for Howe's betrayal." She turned back to her companions. "Please… allow him to join us. He could be a great asset to us if you will allow it."

Alistair was visibly disturbed by her apparent attachment to the assassin. Why would her teacher put a contract on her with the Crows – the famous Antivan assassins?

Aeden looked suspiciously at the Crow. "So, first of all what is your name and why would we want your services?"

The elf looked at Aeden. "My name is Zevran, Zev to my friends. As for why you might want my services… well, I am skilled at many things, from fighting to stealth to picking locks. I could also warn you if the Antivan Crows attempt something more… sophisticated… now that my attempts have failed. I could also stand around and look pretty, if you prefer." He looked leeringly at Alistair, having noticed his discomfort. "Warm your bed? Fend off unwanted suitors? No?"

Alistair shifted from one foot to the other. "Is this before or after you stab one of us in the back?"

Zevran smiled at him. "Tsk. These things you say, they must drive the women back home simply wild!"

Alistair blushed and looked away, with Zevran smiling in victory. Zevran looked back at Aeden.

"So, what shall it be? I'll even shine armor. You won't find a better deal, I promise."

With a sigh, Aeden answered him. "Very well. I accept your offer."

Alistair was shocked. "What? We're taking the assassin with us now? Does that really seem like a good idea?"

Delia went to him and put a comforting hand on his arm. "He'll be useful, Alistair."

He sighed and looked at the hope on her face. "Oh, alright. I suppose we could use whatever help we can get. Still. If there was a sign we were desperate, I think it just knocked on the door and said hello."

Delia smiled at him and kissed him on the cheek, then went to the elf and offered her hand to help him stand. Zevran then took her hand and kissed it, purposefully lingering a second too long simply to see the Templar's reaction.

Looking at Delia, he stood at attention. "I hereby pledge my oath of loyalty to you, until such a time as you release me from it. I am your man, without reservation… this I swear."

Delia looked at him as he gave her a warrior's bow, clenched hand across his chest, and smiled.

"It will be good to have you _aboard_, Zevran… and thank you."

The group found an alternate pathway back to the rest of their party and introduced Zevran to Morrigan and Leliana. Dusty was uneasy with the elf at first, but once he sniffed the man's hand he seemed to relax a bit. Before continuing on their journey Aeden decided it was best to have their lunch, but took out dried rations to speed things up. Once they finished, they picked up their packs and began to walk again.

Zevran walked on one side of Delia, with a bristling Alistair on the other. Delia took Alistair's hand and smiled at him, trying to reassure him silently that everything would be fine, but he scowled back. He did, however, keep hold of her hand.

After several hours, Aeden found a well-used camp site on the side of the road and told the group to set up camp for the night. After the tents were in place, Sten began to gather wood and Aeden took Alistair fishing. The two wardens returned with several large trout and left them with Leliana to cook. She cleaned the fish and rubbed some herbs that Delia had picked onto the skin before she set them on flat stones at the fires edge to cook. They had no more potatoes, so they paired the fish with the remaining dried fruit, making note that they would need to resupply when they arrived at Redcliffe.

Once Delia and Alistair had their food, they walked to the edge of the camp and sat together at the base of a large tree. They ate in a comfortable silence, and then Alistair returned their plates so they could be washed with the others. Before he returned to Delia, he went to his tent and retrieved something from his pack. Then he went back and sat again; this time she moved closer to him and leaned against his chest.

Alistair nuzzled the back of her head, then brought his arms in front of her and placed an object into her hands.

"Here, look at this. Do you know what this is?" he whispered into her ear.

She looked at the beautiful rose he handed to her and smiled mischievously. "Is that a trick question?"

He laughed softly. "Yes, absolutely. I'm trying to trick you. Is it working? Aw, I just about had you, didn't I?"

She turned around to face him before answering. "Oh yes, you're wily."

His eyes narrowed mischievously. "Nefarious even." He laughed in a pitch that was low and somewhat evil sounding, until his throat caught up with him and he coughed. Delia couldn't help but laugh!

"I picked it in Lothering. I remember thinking, 'How could something so beautiful exist in a place with so much despair and ugliness?' I probably should have left it alone, but I couldn't. The darkspawn would come, and their taint would just destroy it. So I've had it ever since."

Delia looked at him and softly asked, "And what do you intend to do with it?"

He put his hand up and cupped it against her cheek. "I thought that I might… give it to you, actually. In a lot of ways, I think the same thing when I look at you."

He smiled at her with the lopsided smile that made her heart skip a beat. Suddenly feeling a little self-conscious, Delia needed to lighten the conversation. She teasingly smirked at him and said, "Feeling a bit thorny, are we?"

His eyes lit up with amusement before he responded with a chuckle. "Wow. 'She'll never see through that,' I told myself. Boy was I wrong."

She coyly looked down. "Relax, I happen to like it."

He rubbed his hand nervously through his hair. "I guess it's a bit silly, isn't it? I just thought… here I am, doing all this complaining, and you haven't exactly been having a good time of it yourself. I thought maybe I could say something. Tell you what a rare and wonderful thing you are to find amidst all this… darkness."

She looked up at him through her eyelashes and moved so close to him that her breath brushed against his cheek. "I feel the same way about you."

He sighed gently pushed a stray hair behind her ear. "I'm glad you like it. Now… if we could just move past this awkward, embarrassing stage and get right to the steamy bits, I'd appreciate it."

She couldn't pass up the opportunity to tease him further. Looking at him seductively, she lowered her voice and moved even closer to him, so close that he could feel her lips move as soft as a feather's touch against his lips as she said to him, "Sounds good. Off with the armor then."

Alistair blushed; his cheeks a deep shade of red. He pushed backward and laughed. "Bluff called! Damn! She saw right through me!"

Delia moved closer again, and took his hand into the two of hers. "Why must it be a bluff?"

He backed away again and looked at her, his blush increasing in intensity. "Well, I suppose we are in the camp. The tent's… right over there. This is true."

She laughed and sat back. "You're so cute when you're bashful."

He wasn't sure what to make of her, and laughed nervously. "I'll be right over here. Until the blushing stops. Just to be… safe. You know how it is." He smiled uneasily and stood, walking over to the camp fire. Once he was at the side of the fire, he sat and looked at her again, smiling nervously and running his hand through his hair.

Delia stood and followed him toward the fire, but was stopped on the way by Zevran.

"I have a question, if I may, my lady. Why would you save my life when your friends had every right to have me killed? I did try to kill them first, after all."

She looked at him sadly. "Zevran, you saved both my life and my brother's aboard that ship. I know better than anyone the danger I face every day, and having you beside me only will keep me better protected. I trust you, Zevran."

He looked at her quizzically. "Mi amor, no one trusts the Crows. You of all people should know that, yes?"

"Ah, but I don't trust the Crows. I trust _you_. And believe me when I say that your skills will be more important than anyone here could imagine. Knowing that Logain hired you with the help of Howe makes me wonder if there might have been more behind my brother's death in Highever. I think you may be the only person who could find that information."

"Si, you may be right."

"I think we all need our rest. Sleep well, Zevran. I'll see you in the morning."

Delia walked away from the assassin toward the two wardens. She said goodnight to both, but as she reached her tent, she looked back at Alistair and winked at him before she entered. He blushed again, opening himself to being teased by his brother in arms. Maker, it was going to be a long night!


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28: Small Comforts

Delia woke refreshed and ready for her morning workout. She dressed and left her tent to find the air was chilly and a mist had settled in from the lake. Quietly she walked to the outer edge of the camp and began to stretch her limbs. As her back was turned to the camp, Zevran walked out from his tent and noticed her. He walked stealthily toward her, and leaned against a nearby tree.

"I am surprised, mi querida. I never thought that you would become a goddess of war."

She turned around to see him smiling lustily at her, his eyes roaming across her body.

"My life has changed completely, Zevran. I can't afford to be a naïve student any longer." She looked melancholy, and her energy seemed drained.

"Well, let us see what Zevran can do to assist you. Show me what stances you have learned. Perhaps I can teach you others that will be better suited to such a beautiful woman."

She agreed, and started to perform her daily routine. As she went from one stance to the next, Zevran would move her arms and legs to perfect her form. Midway through, Zevran noticed Alistair as he exited his tent, and a mischievous grin spread across the elf's face.

"Mmmmmmm, yes my dear. Put your hand this way. Ah, yes, I like that. Now… shift your leg over here… wonderful, mi amor."

His voice was low and sensuous, but loud enough that it carried across the camp site. Alistair heard Zevran's voice before he saw him, and his face was flushed as he looked up to see Zevran's hands on Delia's limbs, shifting them ever so slightly one way or another. The initial embarrassment changed to anger in a flash, and Alistair strode purposefully to the elf, pulling him away from Delia by his shoulder.

"Keep your hands to yourself, elf. There is no reason for you to put your filthy hands on her." His face showed his fury, but he restrained himself.

Delia huffed. "Oh, Alistair, he must have seen you get up and was trying to tease you."

"Ah, my friend, you should see your face! It is priceless!" Zevran goaded the warrior.

Alistair glared at the elf. "I am _not_ your friend. And I don't appreciate being your source of amusement. I'm getting breakfast." He looked at Delia. "Are you coming?"

She smiled at him reassuringly. "I'll be there in a moment. Why don't you dish up food for both of us, and I'll be right there."

Alistair nodded and walked back to the fire, trying to calm his temper on the way. Allowing the elf to irritate him wouldn't be to his advantage, so he tried to recite parts of the Chant of Light to himself to help him relax.

Delia looked at her friend crossly. "Why are you tormenting him so? He hasn't done anything to you."

"But it is so easy, mi amiga! It is quite amusing to see him so perturbed, you must agree. He is quite taken with you, no?" His easy smile grew even larger with his laughter.

"That may be, but I would appreciate it if you would be more… gentle with him. He was raised in the Chantry, and really can't compete with someone of your skills when it comes to mocking another. Try to give him some respite and not be quite so brutal."

His eyes glittering in glee, Zevran reluctantly agreed. "For you, I shall try to at least curtail my teasing."

"Thank you, Zevran. I appreciate it. I also truly appreciate all the tips you gave to me this morning. Would you be able to work with me on my stealth skills? I can't seem to stay undetected."

"Si, I shall help you. We will work on this tomorrow morning, while the early morning shadows are prevalent."

She nodded to him and walked to Alistair. He was sitting on a log near the fire, the damp chill of the morning having permeated his armor. As she sat next to him, he handed her a bowl of porridge. Delia smiled warmly at him in gratitude, and he visibly relaxed. Aeden joined them, and soon the three were discussing travel plans.

"I want to get moving as soon as possible. We could be at Redcliffe Castle just past midday if we move quickly. I don't want to keep the mages waiting; I'm sure they'll want to return to the Circle as soon as possible." Aeden spoke with authority. Delia watched her newly adopted brother with warmth, and was proud of the way he had grown into his new role as their leader.

As soon as the entire party finished their breakfasts, they packed quickly and made their way to the Castle. As they walked along the path, Delia made her way to Aeden's side.

"Aeden, I was wondering if you would mind if I… avoided the castle. I really would rather not see Teagan or Isolde, given my recent history with them. Maybe I could take Leliana with me and we could resupply the party in town while you, Alistair, Wynne and Sten assist the mages?"

Aeden looked at her with compassion. She had been through more than enough with the Guerrins, and although he personally liked Teagan it was obvious that between Isolde's manipulations and Delia's recent attachment to Alistair it would be painful for both Delia and Teagan to spend time together. He thought about what supplies the party needed before he spoke.

"I think that would be an excellent idea, but I want you to have more protection than just Leliana, although she is quite capable. Take Zevran with you too, and if Morrigan will go her as well. I think it's best if you aren't alone. Who knows where Isolde's _friends_ might be, and I want to be certain that nothing happens to you."

Delia nodded. "I agree, besides it could be quite interesting to see Leli and Morrigan try to shop together." She smiled mischievously. "It's almost like mixing oil and water – they never really seem to _blend_."

Aeden laughed loudly and smiled from ear to ear. "Ah, to be a fly on the wall! I would rather go with you; it would certainly be more entertaining!"

The two continued their easy banter until they were just outside the castle gates. The party sat in a clearing to eat, and Aeden took the opportunity to give directions to the group.

"Alistair, Sten and Wynne will come into the castle with me to assist the Circle mages. Hopefully, Wynne will be able to enter the Fade and defeat the demon quickly and easily." He looked at the elderly mage with a sudden look of concern. "Wynne, I hope you don't mind if I have you perform this task. I know it will be dangerous, but I don't think Irving would appreciate Morrigan's presence, and I can't trust Jowan."

She nodded. "I understand, warden, and I actually expected to be the mage selected. Don't worry," she added with a grin, "I can handle myself in the Fade. I've always had a certain affinity for it."

Aeden smiled at her. She was such a maternal figure, and in the very short time he had known her he believed her to be extremely powerful and compassionate.

"Thanks, Wynne. As for the rest of you, I've written a list of supplies. I want you to go to town and buy or barter for what we need. Maybe we'll be lucky and a merchant or two will have arrived in the past couple of days."

Morrigan grimaced. "Must I go? I do not think t'would be worthwhile for me to shop alongside the initiate."

"Morrigan, I would rather you stick together as a group. I don't think you'll run into any trouble in town, but I don't want anyone left alone." He looked at the faces of each member of the group. "When we are finished with our respective tasks, we'll meet in front of the Chantry."

They finished their lunch, and the party began to separate into two groups. Aeden told Dusty to stay with Delia, almost more to protect her from Zevran, who he didn't trust at all. As they were nearly ready to go into the castle, Alistair pulled Delia aside.

"As much as I hate to be away from your side, I guess it's better if you don't have to deal with Isolde. Please, though, be careful. I know you trust Zevran, but I don't."

She giggled. "Oh, Alistair, I'll have Leli and Morrigan to keep me safe. And don't forget Dusty. I'm sure he'll stay between Zevran and me – I swear the mabari is even more protective of me than you are."

He frowned at her words, but pulled her into a hug, kissing her on her forehead. "Just… please be careful."

She reached up and kissed his cheek. "I promise to be careful. I think you'll have the worse time of it. Hopefully you won't have to be a Templar today. I'll send prayers to the Maker at the Chantry while we are in town."

"Thank you. I would appreciate that. No matter what Isolde has done, Connor deserves to survive this." He kissed her on her mouth tentatively, and then released her with a lopsided grin.

Delia watched as the three warriors and the mage walked through the castle gates to the great doors. As they entered the castle, she led her friends down the hill to the town.

She was pleasantly surprised to find the store had been reopened. As she walked toward the building, she saw the owners busily sweeping away the debris left over from the battle with the undead. A smile crept over her face as she recognized the shopkeepers. They were her friends from her ship voyage – Chloe and Vernon! She cleared her throat to get their attention. Chloe turned around and her eyes immediately lit up.

"Lady Delia! It is so good to see you again!" She walked quickly to her and hugged her tightly, making Delia gasp for breath.

As she broke from the other woman's grasp, Delia replied. "I'm glad to see you too! Did you and Vernon just arrive? I would have expected you to have been here much sooner."

"Well, we traveled a bit before we came home. We have several merchant friends in other towns who had asked us to bring goods back for them. It is far more profitable when we combine our resources."

"That makes sense. Oh, do you have any spices left? I remember you were bringing back quite a selection."

Chloe's face lit up with excitement. "Of course, my dear! We've barely set the shop back up. My neighbors told us there had been monsters fighting in the village, which I can certainly believe by the mess we found when we arrived yesterday. For you, I will unpack my crates even if the store isn't quite ready." She led her friend into the store, with Leliana and Zevran following. Morrigan and Dusty remained outside, enjoying the warmth of the sun on their backs.

The store was filled with the wooden boxes, labeled with all sorts of goods. Leliana noticed crates labeled with clothing from Orlais and volunteered to unpack the many dresses and hang them on the store's racks. Chloe was happy to have the help, and Leliana clapped her hands in excitement. She hadn't seen the latest Orlesian fashions in over a year, and she longed to feel the exquisite silks again.

Delia handed the list of all the practical supplies Aeden wanted to Vernon. He started shuffling around, pulling out dried meats and fruits, as well as the dried herbs needed by the mages. Chloe started to show Delia the bottles of Antivan spices. Zevran stood next to her, enjoying the many scents from his homeland. Delia looked longingly at the spices before her, but sadly shook her head.

"Oh, Chloe, I would love to buy a bottle of everything, but I'm afraid we don't have much money."

"Nonsense, my dear. Your friend is working for me right now, setting up all those clothes. Surely we can come to an agreement – spices in trade for your help arranging the store. Now, we need to get you a fine assortment so that you can eat properly. Maybe you'd like some teas as well? We brought back a large variety of Seharon teas. I'm sure you would have tea at your school."

Chloe took it upon herself to put together a large assortment of spices and teas as Delia and Zevran helped her unload the many crates and arrange the goods on the store shelves. Once the shelves were full, Chloe asked Zevran to carry the many extra crates down to the storeroom, which he gladly did. Vernon was thrilled that he didn't have to do the heavy work by himself!

Before long, the five had cleaned and organized the store. Vernon stood back and looked at everything they had accomplished.

"My, my, I think this place looks better than it did before we left on our trip! You have no idea how much your help means to us." He smiled broadly at the group.

"I quite agree, dear. Now, ask your friend to join us in here and I'll make a pot of tea for us all. I want to hear how you've come to be in Redcliffe, my lady. And where is that handsome brother of yours? He should be here helping your elf friend with all this heavy lifting." Chloe winked at Zevran, who in turn smiled back.

"Ah, my lady Chloe, it is my pleasure to be assisting. It isn't often that I have the pleasure of attending to as many beautiful women at the same time." He reached over and took her hand in his, kissing her hand gently and making her blush.

"Ooooh, Delia, you simply _must_ look at these dresses! They are so beautiful!" Leliana couldn't stop shuffling through the clothing on the rod. "This green one would be _perfect_ for your complexion, don't you think, Zev?"

The elf looked at the dress and nodded in agreement. "Yes, it would be lovely on you, mi querida." He looked at Chloe and asked, "Is there a room where Delia might try it on?"

Chloe smiled radiantly. "Of course! Follow me, dearie."

Delia shook her head. "No, thank you, Chloe, but I cannot spend our coins on a dress, not at this time. As much as I would love a new dress, and that on is particularly stunning, I can't be that selfish."

Chloe frowned. "Nonsense. No one said you have to buy it – you need to try it on. Come now, I want to see what it looks like on you."

Not wanting to offend her friend, she agreed, and followed Chloe into the back room to change. When she returned into the shop room, Leliana's hand rose to her mouth to stifle her gasp.

"Oh, Delia, it is _stunning_! You simply cannot leave it here. It more than suits you – it was _made_ for you!"

The dress fit Delia like a glove, accentuating her curves without being too forward. The neckline came down to a V that was low enough to be enticing. Her russet colored hair gleamed against the emerald green silk, and the golden embroidered vines accentuated her slim figure perfectly. Even Delia had to admit that this dress was perfect for her.

"It is beautiful, isn't it?" She sighed. "Unfortunately, I can't justify buying it. When would I even wear it? It isn't the sort of thing you would wear in camp."

"Sometimes a woman just _has_ to have something pretty, doesn't she? Something to make her feel feminine and pretty." Leliana looked imploringly at her friend. "You need to have this dress. It was meant to be worn by you."

Delia frowned. "I wish I could buy it, but we don't have the coins to spare. Perhaps we'll be back here another time and if it is still here I can buy it then. It's best if I don't have high expectations."

She walked back into the back room and changed back to her leather armor. Putting the dress back onto the hanger, she ran her hand along the silken bodice. _"Oh, Maker, this is a dress that I would love. I can imagine wearing this to one of the spring balls in Antiva, with a white orchid in my hair. And Dairren could wear a golden suit with emerald embroidery…"_ The tears came unbidden. She missed her brother so very much at that moment she thought her heart would burst. Quickly she dried her tears and put on her most proper noble face before rejoining her friends in the store.

She hung the dress with the others and sat at the table while Chloe poured tea and served biscuits with honey. As they sat at the table, Chloe's curiosity got the better of her.

"So, my dear, where is that handsome brother of yours? The two of you were never separated, and I have to say that I am surprised to see you wearing that armor."

Delia's carefully façade crumbled. As she explained her brother's death to her friends, her tears fell heavily. Zevran reached a hand to hers in comfort. Chloe and Vernon were shocked to hear of their friend's troubles.

"My dear girl, please know that you can always stay with us. Our children have all grown and live their own lives, and we would be more than happy to have you be a part of our family." The two merchants held each other's hand as they looked sadly at their friend.

"I thank you both. You are wonderful people, and I hope that our paths will cross again. My place is with the Grey Wardens for now, but who knows what the future may bring." As she stood to leave, she kissed each of them on their cheeks. "Maker watch over both of you and keep you under his protection, my friends." Delia gathered the packages of spices and put them in her pack before dividing the many supplies between the four of them.

The group took their leave, but as they walked out of the door, Zevran slipped back in. "My good lady, please allow me to purchase that dress for Lady Delia. I would like to surprise her with it, as I feel it would be good for her to have something to remind her of her true nature."

"You are a true friend, ser elf. By the way, you look very familiar to me. Have we met?" Chloe's eyes searched his face, trying to place him.

Zevran smiled. "I certainly would remember someone as _lovely_ as you, my dear. But, isn't it true that to humans we elves have a tendency to look alike? Perhaps you had a servant with hair a similar color. Ah, no? Well, maybe you will remember in the middle of the night, yes? Perhaps after you have had a very _wicked_ dream of me?" He winked at her, causing her to blush.

"You are such a sweet man that I shall have to take a sizeable discount off the price of that dress for you. Delia is lucky to have friends as wonderful as you."

"Ah, don't I know it!" he laughed, as Chloe wrapped the dress in brown paper before he hid it in his pack.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29: Antidotes

Delia sat with Leliana and Morrigan outside the Chantry while Zevran played a game of fetch with Dusty. Morrigan was asking about the many spices Delia had purchased, especially some of the herbs bought specifically for potions. There were several Antivan herbs that were not native to Ferelden that were used as antidotes which Morrigan had never seen before.

They were so immersed in their discussion that they didn't notice the four arrive from the castle. Aeden walked up to them, smiling, and when Delia realized someone was behind her she stood. Turning around and seeing Aeden, she smiled and gave him a welcoming hug. She looked for Alistair, who was in the back of the small group, and quickly walked to him, hugging him as well, but placing a kiss on his cheek. He was also smiling, and Delia thought it looked as if they had been successful.

She looked straight into Alistair's eyes and asked, "How did things go? You look happy, so can I assume Connor is fine?"

Alistair's face beamed. "He's not only fine, but he doesn't remember anything that happened to him. Did I ever mention that Wynne is an extraordinary mage? She is really amazing… I mean, it's not every day that someone goes into the Fade and kills a demon. I think she's one of the best mages I've ever known… maybe the magiest!"

Wynne chuckled. "The magiest? You make me sound as if I have a skin disease! I am, however, glad that I could save the child. His magic is strong, and with the right guidance he has great potential."

"I'm so happy you were able to save him. He's such a sweet boy. Last summer he would ask me to read to him every day. His favorite book was about Aveline, and I must have read it to him cover to cover at least three times in the month I was there!" She smiled at the memory.

Aeden cleared his throat. "Alright, we need to talk a moment about what's next. Would you all follow me over here where we can have a bit of privacy?" He led the party past the blacksmith's shop toward the docks. There was an area on the hill that was perfect for seating his companions so that he could see everyone at once. Aeden stood in front of his party and summarized where they stood.

"So… we've defeated the demon and saved Connor, but Eamon is still unconscious. It may very well be that the only thing that will save him from the poison is the Urn of Sacred Ashes. Alistair, Wynne and I talked about it, and we feel that we have to try to find the ashes, however if it takes more than a few weeks we'll be forced to abandon Eamon to pursue the warden treaties."

Sten huffed in indignation. "We must defeat the Blight. We have no time to waste on such foolishness."

Aeden nodded. "I understand, Sten, but to fight the Blight we need a unified Ferelden. To unite Ferelden we need Eamon to work with us at the Landsmeet. If we can save Eamon, it will save us time in the long run." Taking a deep breath, he looked around at his companions. "Our next journey will be to Denerim. We need to find Brother Genitivi. He has been searching for the ashes for years, and, the last Isolde heard, he was very close to locating them. His house is near the Gnawed Noble Tavern, so I propose we stay at the Tavern while we're there. It'll give us all a chance for a real bed and baths for a night… a luxury I think we would _all _appreciate. Were you able to get the supplies we need?"

Delia nodded. "Yes, the shop has reopened, and the owners are friends of mine. We bought the food we needed as well as a selection of spices and herbs. The spices will hopefully make our meals taste better and the herbs will give us more powerful potions."

Wynne raised an eyebrow in interest. "You'll have to show me what you've purchased. I'm always looking for better ways to make potions. "

"I would be more than happy to teach everything I learned in Antiva, Wynne, and I'm sure there is quite a bit you can teach me as well." She smiled warmly at the mage, who nodded in agreement.

"Is there anything else we need? If not, I'd like to make camp outside of town before dark. Teagan offered us rooms in the castle, but I felt it might be a bit… awkward." Aeden ran his hand through his hair, in a way that reminded Delia of Alistair's nervous habit. "Teagan did do one thing to help us speed up our travels – he's given us some horses and a wagon. We're supposed to pick them up here in town, so why don't we go to the stables?"

The group walked to the stables and found Ser Perth talking to the stable master, a man named Jerzon. Ser Perth had chosen horses for each member of the group, but upon looking at the Qunari warrior he realized that not all would be able to ride. Both Wynne and Morrigan preferred to ride in the wagon with Sten, so Jerzon chose a pair of horses strong enough to pull the wagon with the three occupants.

Jerzon asked each of the other members of the group about their riding abilities and experience. Alistair was the least experienced with horses, so he was given a large, but gentle chestnut. Aeden was given a spirited black horse with a blaze and white socks which was nearly as tall as Alistair's, but far more of a challenge. Both Delia and Leliana received bay horses that were trained both as riding horses as well as to pull a light carriage. The two were nearly identical, and Delia could imagine how beautiful they must look with a fancy carriage behind them. Zevran was given a grey gelding, which was older than the others, but still sound. Delia noticed how Jerzon was reluctant to give any horse to the elf, and she decided to be certain to mention the man's prejudice to Teagan when she next saw him.

Once they were all ready, they mounted their horses and made their way out of the town. Aeden decided to travel as far as he could take them, pushing until late in the afternoon and having barely enough time to set up camp. Since there was no time to hunt, they ate a meal of smoked meat and dried fruit. Wynne made certain that everyone riding a horse drank specially prepared healing potions so that their muscles wouldn't be sore.

After they ate, the group started to settle around the camp fire. Leliana brought out her lute and started to play some folksongs while Sten and Zevran cleaned and sharpened their blades. Aeden and Alistair were giving Delia more details about their time in the castle when they suddenly both fell silent and looked at each other. Both sensed darkspawn in the area.

The two wardens sprang into action, rousing their companions before the monsters caught them off guard. They were ready when the creatures attacked. Leliana was able to immediately kill an emissary with one well-placed fire arrow in the neck. Delia and Zevran worked behind the three warriors, using their blades and poisons to slow and disable the creatures while the warriors eradicated the menace. It wasn't long before the fight was over, and they were left with a huge mess to clean up.

The warriors started to pick up the darkspawn corpses and stack them downwind of the party. Zevran, Leliana and Delia collected wood, and before long they had a pyre burning at the side of the lake. Delia noticed there was a lot of blood on her armor, so she decided she needed a bath, no matter how cold the water was. Retrieving her soap, she called Dusty and brought him with her to a secluded stream that emptied into the lake. After removing her armor, she scrubbed it with roots she pulled from the riverbank to be certain all the blood was eliminated. Once the armor was clean, she removed the remainder of her clothes and jumped into the cold water.

She shivered as she cleaned her skin. The water was colder than she expected, and she tried to scrub quickly. The moment she felt clean she exited the water and dressed in the clean tunic and breeches she brought with the soap. Quickly she walked back to the campfire with Dusty at her side, but once there she couldn't get warm. Dusty noticed her shivering and ran to his master, trying to get his attention, but Aeden was preoccupied with burning the darkspawn.

The mabari ran in search of Alistair and found him patrolling the perimeter of the camp. Knowing he would most likely get even less of a response from the human, the dog simply took the man's hand firmly in his mouth and began to pull him to Delia.

"Heeeeeeey, what's wrong with you? Aeden won't like it much if you hurt his only other warden!"

Dusty simply growled in response and tugged harder. Alistair had one of two choices – go with the dog or lose his hand! He chose the less bloody route and followed the dog. He was surprised when Dusty brought him to a shivering Delia, who just sitting at the fire with her arms wrapped around her knees. Alistair quickly went into his tent and brought out his blanket. Gently he wrapped it around her and started to rub her back. When she still wouldn't stop shivering, he went into her tent and brought back her own blanket. Wrapping it around her back, he sat next to her and pulled her close to him, trying to give her his own body heat.

"Dusty, please go get Wynne. I don't know what's wrong with Delia and she needs Wynne's help."

The mabari barked once and ran off, returning in a few minutes with the mage.

"Alistair, what happened?"

He looked worried. "Honestly, I don't know. Dusty literally grabbed me and brought me to her. No matter what I do, she won't stop shivering. That's why I sent him to get you. I thought you could help her."

Wynne looked at the girl, who shivered against Alistair's chest. Delia wasn't responding to them, and Wynne grew more concerned.

"Help me bring her into her tent, then get Morrigan."

Alistair nodded and stood up, then picked up Delia and gently lay her down in her tent. Leaving her with Wynne, he ran to Morrigan's tent.

"And to what do I owe this intrusion, Alistair? I cannot think of a _thing_ that you would want to speak to me about."

"Morrigan, it's Delia. She's shivering uncontrollably and Wynne asked me to have you assist her." He looked at her imploringly. "Please, she needs help. I don't know what's wrong and she can't tell me."

Morrigan nodded and picked up her herb pack. She ran to Delia's tent to join Wynne. Alistair followed her closely, but when he started to enter the tent, Wynne gently stopped him.

"Right now, Alistair, I need you to look for clues. Her hair is wet – she must have been in water. Find her armor and see if you can find anything at all. Perhaps she was poisoned somehow during the battle."

He nodded and found her armor next to where she had been sitting at the fire. Laying it out to better see it, he checked it carefully from top to bottom. There were no holes, and it looked as though she had cleaned it. As he turned it over to look at the back, he noticed what looked like a root of a plant caught at the edge of one of the straps. He carefully removed the plant and brought it to Wynne.

As she looked at the root, Wynne grimaced. "If only she had waited until there was sunlight to clean her armor. Morrigan, it's deathroot. We need an antidote quickly. Alistair, stay with her. You need to keep her warm, no matter what it takes."

The mages ran from the tent to look through their herb stores. Alistair sat with Delia, feeling helpless. He called the mabari into the tent and had him lie next to Delia while he had her head on his lap. There was nothing he could do except pray that she would survive.

The mages rushed back into the tent and pushed him back out along with the dog. Wynne started to look at her hands for any small cut where the deathroot could have entered her blood. She found small scrapes on her knuckles, no doubt from scrubbing her armor with the poisoned roots. Morrigan looked through Delia's herb pouch until she found the Antivan herbs shown to her that afternoon. She tried to remember exactly what Delia had told her about making the antidotes, but wasn't sure of the exact proportions. The only other person she could think of who would know how to make the antidotes was the elven assassin, so telling Wynne of her plan the apostate left the tent and found the elf.

Alistair was not happy when Morrigan brought Zevran into Delia's tent. He sat there, wringing his hands, with the mabari sitting worriedly by his side. Zevran went to work immediately creating the antidote.

"My dear Wynne, this antidote will take time to work. We must arrange for our sweet Delia to be kept warm overnight, so I volunteer to stay with her." Zevran looked at the mage with an expression that told her he was not teasing.

"Thank you, Zevran, but I think that perhaps that job should be left to someone else." She called Alistair into the tent, and he hurried to Delia's side. "Alright, Alistair, she will be fine, but must be kept warm overnight. I want you to take her near the campfire, and you can sit with something to support your back with her sitting in front of you, leaning back against the warmth of your chest. She'll need both blankets, I'm afraid, but if you get cold whoever is on watch can loan you their blanket."

He nodded, wordlessly, and picked up the recruit. Morrigan helped by finding a cushion for his back. Gently he sat her down, and then pulled her onto his own lap with his arms around her. He rested his cheek against the top of her head and closed his eyes. "_Andraste, please watch over Delia. She is a warrior much like you, but to do your work she needs your help. Keep her in your loving embrace and have her wake in the morning."_

Alistair dozed a little bit over the night. Each time he woke, he listened for her breathing and then kissed her on the top of her head. Sometimes he would find himself stroking her hair. In the hours before dawn, he noticed that she was beginning to feel warmer. He dozed off again, this time allowing himself to relax into a deeper sleep since she seemed to be better.

The sun was just coming over the horizon when Alistair was woken up by a kiss being planted firmly against his lips. As he jolted to alertness, he realized that Delia had his face held between her hands, and he relaxed into the feeling of her soft lips against his own. When she broke the kiss, she asked him why she was bundled up in his lap, so he explained how she had nearly caused her own death by being careless in the dark, so he suggested creating a supply of safe roots to scrub with when the need would arise.

Then, he took her face between his own two hands and gently kissed her again and again, making certain she could feel how worried he had been, but also how grateful he was that she was well. Delia said her own silent thanks to the Maker for putting this thoughtful and _very warm_ man into her life.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30: Emotions

Delia took her time stretching her muscles which felt extra stiff after her troubles the previous night. As she started to stretch her legs, she noticed that Zevran had joined her for her morning practice, but the normally cheerful elf was clearly annoyed. Not knowing what or who had upset her friend, she tried to ignore his angry stares, but his movements were not the elegant dancelike steps of their normal warm-up. Instead, he shifted sharply from one foot to the other, his hands cutting through the air like a dagger cutting through a cloth.

As her concern for Zevran grew, Delia stopped her routine and placed her hands on her hips. She looked at the elf with worry before she spoke to him.

"What's wrong, Zevran? You aren't yourself this morning."

He looked at her with anger. "And why should I be myself, hmmmm? I spent last evening creating an antidote for deathroot hurriedly because _you_ were so careless to use the plant as an armor scrub! I have sworn my life to protect you, and you wander alone and cause yourself to nearly die from a plant!"

Delia looked at her friend in shock. He had never shown such raw emotion; he always was the epitome of calculated communication.

"Zev, I'm fine, honestly. Please calm yourself."

"Calm myself?" His eyes flashed in fury. "How am I supposed to protect you if you are so careless, eh? Did you even think before you wandered off?"

"I'm surprised that you are so upset. I'm truly sorry, Zevran. I've already been berated by Wynne and Morrigan, if it makes you feel any better. I'm sure I'll be hearing from Aeden later, and would be scolded by Alistair as well if he weren't simply relieved that I'm alright."

"You _should_ be reprimanded by every person in this camp. I cannot believe how irresponsible you were. You act like a spoiled child, with no regard to anyone else. You need to become the sensible, mature woman I thought you were."

Delia was wounded by his words, but more so by the fierce wrath of his demeanor. Trying hard to hold back her tears, she threw her arms around the assassin's neck and hugged him tightly.

"I'm sorry, Zev. I care so much about you and I am so sorry to put you through all that worry."

"You… care for me? That is surprising, mia cara." He pulled away from her. "How can you care for someone like me? I am nothing."

She shook her head and looked him in the eye. "That is not true, Zevran. You are a good man, a man who saved my life, and a good and honest person. Somehow you need to learn to believe in yourself, as I believe in you."

He looked at her with confusion. No one had ever believed in him except for one person, the one he had betrayed in the worst possible way. How could Delia say she believed in him? Zevran started to walk away, but Delia grabbed his arm.

"Zevran Aranai, you are important to me, whether you believe it or not. You and I have saved each other, and I believe the Maker himself has made our paths cross for a reason. I will not allow you to give up on yourself, not when you have saved me twice now and you are willing to rake me over the coals for scaring you."

"Scaring me? You give yourself far too much credit." He sneered at her, trying to reinstate his hardhearted mask, but she wouldn't allow him to hide himself. Instead, she reached up and kissed him on the cheek, smiling as she pulled away.

"Yes, Zevran, I scared you, and I _am_ sorry. I promise to never be so senseless again. Come on, let's go get some breakfast. I'm famished!"

She grabbed his hand, and although he wanted to pull away, he allowed her to lead him to the camp fire. Once there, he was able to get his portion of food and retreat to his own tent. Delia's actions were making him think too hard about his feelings, and as a Crow he was not permitted to feel… not anything.

The wardens tried to hurry their companions along. The trip to Denerim would take several days, and they needed to take advantage of whatever good weather they had. Rain would slow the wagon, and Aeden wanted to avoid any needless delays.

The trip to Denerim was rather uneventful. The days were spent traveling in relative comfort with their horses and the cart. The party members had ample opportunity to talk among themselves. Wynne, Morrigan and Delia spent a great deal of time exchanging information about herbs and potions, each benefitting from the other's varied knowledge. Aeden was pleased overhearing the three educate each other, as it meant the group could be divided in different ways and still have someone in each smaller group with some sort of healing ability, whether that was through spells or potions.

The nights were even better than the days, as the party members took turns telling stories, both about their own lives or about legends they heard over time. Leliana would regale them with her music as well, sometimes encouraging the others to sing along. Aeden could feel how the party was becoming closer and more caring of each other, and it made him happy to feel as if they were becoming an extended family.

The one person who didn't seem to take part in the conversations was Zevran. He sat in the background, observing the others but staying apart. Delia wasn't happy that he avoided contact with the rest of the group, but decided he probably needed time to sort out his feelings so she left him alone. Instead, she would sit next to Alistair and talk to the rest of the group. Alistair didn't want to leave her side, not that it bothered Delia in the least. She actually found that sleeping was difficult. After waking up in his arms in front of the fire, she would find herself lying in her tent missing the feel of his arms around her.

It was late in the afternoon when they first saw the wall surrounding Denerim. Aeden decided to camp for the night outside the city rather than enter after dark. They set up camp quickly, now that the group had a routine, and Dusty caught several rabbits for their dinner. Once the rabbits were cleaned and skinned, Delia took over the cooking duties. Using the spices purchased from Chloe, she made an Antivan stew.

As the smell of the stew wafted over the camp, Zevran relaxed.

"Ah, mi querida, you have crafted a real meal for us instead of Ferelden swill." He inhaled the aroma of the rich stew. "I did not realize how homesick I was until you have graced us with this masterpiece of cuisine."

Aeden chuckled. "I never would have thought _you_ would get homesick, Zevran."

"It is fascinating how certain smells make one feel reminiscent of home, is it not?" A smile came to his face as he thought of his home. "You know what smell makes me think the most of Antiva? It is the smell of fresh leather."

"Leather? But there's leather everywhere, Zevran."

"Ah, but it's not Antivan leather. I do not know what the Antivan tanners do that is different, but there is no leather that is more supple nor more fragrant."

Delia looked at the elf. "Why would the smell of leather remind you of Antiva? There are so many things to smell there – the flowers are always in bloom and there are always the most wonderful aromas from the bakeries."

"I grew up in the leather-making district, in a small apartment where the Crows stowed their youngest recruits. Packed in like crates." His eyes stared off into the distance as his memories flooded his mind. "Ah, the good old days. Now, if it is all the same to you, I would prefer not to speak more of Antiva. It makes me wistful and hungry for a proper meal."

Delia grinned. "Well, Zevran, at least you are in luck as far as the meal goes." She ladled a hefty portion of the stew into a bowl and added a hunk of bread to the side, then handed it to Zevran. "I hope you will find this to your liking."

While she watched, he ate a spoonful of the hearty stew, and his eyes rolled back in pleasure. "A meal fit for the gods!" He looked at her and smiled. "My dear, you have restored my very faith in humanity. I must offer my thanks to you for providing us with a meal meant to be savored rather than suffered." He retreated to sit on a log, and relished every last morsel.

The entire party enjoyed the meal, which was made even more special when Wynne contributed several bottles of wine to the festivities. When they finished, Sten took the dishes to clean while the others settled into their evening routine.

Alistair sat next to Delia, looking uncomfortable. She looked at him and smiled.

"Something on your mind?"

He cleared his throat and ran his hand through his hair. "I have something to ask you. Since we'll be in Denerim tomorrow, I was wondering if we might be able to… look someone up."

Delia narrowed her eyes and teased him, elbowing him in the ribs. "This wouldn't be some former lover of yours, would it?"

Alistair's eyes opened wide in surprise. "A former what? No! Do you honestly think I would suggest we go… together? No!"

She laughed at him. "Oh, relax, I'm only teasing you. Who is it you want to see?"

"Well, the thing is, I have a sister. A half-sister. I told you about my mother, right? How she was a servant at Redcliffe Castle and she had a daughter… only I never knew about her. I don't think she knew about me either. They kept my birth a secret, after all. But after I became a Grey Warden I did some checking and… well, I found out she's still alive. In Denerim."

"Have you contacted her?"

"No, I thought about writing to her, but I never did. With the Blight coming and everything, I don't know if I'll have another chance to see her. Maybe I can help her, warn her about the danger, I don't know."

"If you want, we can try."

He smiled at her warmly. "Could we? I'd appreciate that. If something happened to her and I never went to at least see her, I don't know if I could forgive myself. Her name is Goldanna, and I think she remarried but still lives outside the Alienage. If we're in the area then… well, it's worth a look."

Delia nodded at him as she thought about her own brother. Even having lost him, her life had been so much richer for having had him in her life. She couldn't possibly deny Alistair the chance to know someone connected to him. Hopefully, he would have the family he so richly deserved.

She leaned against his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. "Thank you, Delia. You have no idea what this means to me," he whispered in her ear.

"I think I understand more than you know," she replied as she settled into his embrace.


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31: Denerim

They entered Denerim early in the morning as the merchants were setting their wares out for the day. Once they were inside the gates, Aeden split the party into two groups. Leliana, Wynne and Sten joined Aeden to find Brother Genitivi and to check the Chantry board for work. Alistair brought Delia, Morrigan and Zevran with him to restock their supplies as well as his personal mission to find his sister.

As Alistair's group wandered through the market, he looked at the doors of the attached houses. Each door had a number painted within a small box, and he finally located the number he looked for. His excitement caught him by surprise as he realized how close he was to finding the sister he always longed to have. He reached out and put his hand on Delia's arm to get her attention.

"That's… my sister's house. I'm almost sure of it, this is… yes, this is the right address. She could be inside. Could we… go and see?"

Delia was almost as excited as he was. "Yes, let's do that," she said smiling.

Alistair suddenly had second thoughts about meeting his sister. He was unsure if she would know who he was, or if he even existed. His insecurity made him nearly turn away from the door, but Delia's hand on his elbow bolstered his confidence enough to enter the building. Once inside, he cleared his throat to get the attention of the woman washing clothes at the other end of the room.

"Err… hello?"

The strawberry-blonde woman looked up and wiped the suds off her hands before turning and walking toward them. "Eh? You have linens to wash? I charge three bits on the bundle, you won't find better."

Nervously, Alistair ran his hand through his hair as he looked at Delia for support. She placed her hand on his arm, smiled, and nodded slightly. He smiled back at uneasily, swallowed hard, and responded to the woman walking toward him.

"I'm… not here to have any wash done. My name is Alistair. I'm, well, this may sound sort of strange, but are you Goldanna? If so, I suppose I'm your brother."

The woman before him frowned. "My what? I am Goldanna, yes… how do you know my name? What kind of tomfoolery are you up to?"

Delia looked at the scowling woman in front of her and then shifted her gaze back to Alistair. "Are you sure your information was correct, Alistair?"

He looked back at her with his eyes wide open. His hand was again nervously running through his hair, and sweat beaded on his forehead. "Yes… I think so. I'm sure of it, in fact." He sighed before he explained to Goldanna about the circumstances of his birth. She responded to his story with anger and disgust because she had been told the child had died along with her mother and had been sent away with a few coins. When she looked to the people at Redcliffe Castle for more money to support herself, they had sent her away. Her life had been difficult, and she wanted nothing to do with any brother, unless he was going to make her life easier by plying her with money. Goldanna was anything but hospitable and accepting toward her brother, and was completely insulting toward Delia.

Delia took Alistair's arm and gently pulled him toward the door as she strongly suggested they leave. He was shocked at his sister's behavior and readily agreed to go. Once they were outside, they walked over to sit on a wooden crate that was up against the city's outer wall.

Alistair shrugged his shoulders and sighed. "Well, that was… not what I expected. To put it lightly." He shook his head and looked at the ground. "This is the family I've been wondering about all my life? That shrew is my sister? I can't believe it." His eyes watered as he struggled with his emotions.

He looked at Delia's eyes, with questions in his own. "I… I guess I expected her to accept me without question. Isn't that what family is supposed to do? I… I feel like a complete idiot."

Delia took his hand between her two and looked at him sadly. She knew only too well from her own experience that blood wasn't what defined acceptance, but she hated the fact that his heart was broken by the loss of his dream. Very softly, she spoke to him and said, "Everyone is out for themselves. You should learn that."

No matter how she said those words to them, they were going to hurt. He needed to hear them, however, and he nodded as he squeezed her hand gently. "Yes, I suppose you're right." He stood from the crate and held his hand out to her. "Let's just go. I don't want to talk about this anymore."

She stood and nodded, taking his offered hand in hers. They walked together toward the two other members of their group. Delia spoke to them to find out what supplies they still needed to buy, and then the four started down the alley toward a shop named The Wonders of Thedas. They hoped to resupply their lyrium supply as well as purchase specialized herbs from the store run by the tranquil mages from the Circle of Magi.

As they started down the narrow street, Zevran grabbed Delia's arm to stop her. He whispered to her, "Wait here. There is trouble ahead."

She looked at him in alarm. "How do you know?"

"I sense these things. It is what I do." He gave her a sultry smile and disappeared into the shadows.

Within a minute, they heard a scuffle ahead, and then Zevran called to them to come to him. The three ran up past the bend in the road and found Zevran tying the hands of an unconscious man. As Delia looked closer, she realized she recognized him. It was Gibbet, the boat hand from the Flying Gryphon.

Delia's shock was apparent to everyone. She never expected to see Gibbet again, and his appearance caused images of Nehairel to flash into her memory. Alistair found himself greatly disturbed by her reaction and he left her next to Morrigan and went to Zevran's side as the elf rolled his captive onto his back.

"Zevran, who is this man?" Alistair looked between Delia and Zevran looking for some sort of answer.

"Alistair, remember I told you that Zev saved me on my way to Amaranthine? This man was one of the sailors on the ship, but he had some sort of connection with the man who tried to kill me and my brother."

Zevran took a small vial from his pack. "Yes, and there must be a reason why he is in Denerim. Now is the time to wake him and make him talk." He opened the small vial and waved it under the man's nose. Quickly, Gibbet was coughing and trying to sit, but his bindings prevented his movement.

"Wha… it's you! What do ye want with me, elf?" Gibbet's eyes were wide with fear.

"I believe that I shall ask the questions here. State your business in Denerim." Zevran's eyes flashed coldly at the man.

Gibbet glared at Zevran. "I have nothin' to say to you, elf. Now leave me be."

"I cannot do that, as you have crossed my path in a most unsavory way. I know you were following my friends here, and you shall tell us why. Or, I shall have to find ways to make you speak." He shook his head from side to side. "I can tell you that you will not enjoy that, my good man. I suggest you speak freely, for I do not believe you could survive the kind of pain I would inflict upon you."

When Gibbet refused to speak, Zevran decided to up the ante. "My dear Morrigan, would you do me the honor of showing this man the kind of warmth that only someone with your talents could show him?"

She smiled devilishly. "With great pleasure." With that, she raised her hands in front of her, allowing orbs of magical fire to form on each palm. Gibbet's eyes grew more fearful, and when Morrigan released a trail of fire against his arm, the sailor shrieked in alarm.

"You're gonna fry me! Stop!"

"Answer me and you have no need to fear her fire. What is your business here?" Zevran's anger was building.

"I'm 'ere on business of the Arl o' Denerim. You have no right to keep me here."

"The Arl of Denerim? Do you mean Rendon Howe?" Alistair fought to keep his tone even, but his anger was rising. If Howe had hired this man, then Delia was in danger and he wouldn't allow her to be hurt.

"Aye, Howe is the man. I met him right after we docked in Amaranthine. He was lookin' for Nehairel. I told him Nehairel was missing, an' he was angry, he was. Found me again a week or so later, an' hired me to look for the Lady here." He moved his head indicating Delia was the woman, and Delia fought back a sudden surge of nausea.

Zevran pulled the man to a sitting position and looked him directly in the eye while pointing his dagger at his throat. "And what does the Arl of Denerim want with the Lady, hmmmm? What are you supposed to do when you find her?"

"He wants her brought to him as quick as possible. Didn't say why, but he said she wasn't to be killed."

"How many people are searching for her?" Alistair was running his hand through his hair again.

"All I know is he hired me. I don't know if he has anyone else lookin' for her." Gibbet glared at Delia. "All I know is she's more trouble than she's worth."

Zevran struck him across his face. "You think that I believe you were working alone? That you would be stupid enough to fight one against the four of us?"

Gibbet sneered at him. "And you think I'm gonna tell you who else was with me? I would'a snagged her an' dragged her away from you an' you wouldna even known she was gone. My friends would have cleaned up whatever mess you three others tried to make. I bet they're watching right now, just waitin' to gitcha as soon as they can."

Zevran started to search his pockets, and when Gibbet tried to protest he stuffed a gag into his mouth. In his coat pocket were documents describing Delia along with a sketch of her face. One of the documents had the names of the leader of a mercenary gang called the White Falcons.

"So, my _friend_, these were the men who were supposed to be helping you, eh? Well, we shall have to deal with them as well. Did you or your friends realize that you are fighting the fabled Grey Wardens?" Gibbet's eyes looked panicked, and Zevran chuckled. "Ah, so you had no idea that our lovely lady has some very important friends, no? Do not allow that to concern you, for your part in this is now at an end." He looked at Alistair. "My friend, would you be so kind as to escort our lovely companions to the Gnawed Noble Tavern. I shall meet you there in a few minutes, as soon as I can clean up the good Arl's mess here."

Alistair nodded and took Delia's hand in his. He looked at Delia and Morrigan before saying, "Alright, let's go. I bet we could all use a drink. Something strong, perhaps…"

He wouldn't allow Delia to look back, but they heard the sound of the knife as it cut the sailor's jugular vein. Gibbet's last breaths gurgled and echoed in the dark alley, and Delia thought the sound alone would make her pass out. Alistair's hand gave her enough strength to make it to the tavern, and they sat down in a booth in the back corner.

The tavern wench came to their table and took their order. Alistair took it upon himself to order a Denerim Pale Ale for each of them, and the three sat silently, sipping from their tankards, until Zevran finally rejoined them.

Delia was trembling against Alistair, so he put his arm around her shoulders in an attempt to calm her. Zevran noticed her distress, and suggested they return to camp. The three finished their ales and left the tavern as quietly as possible. Alistair put his arm around Delia's waist as they walked, and she leaned against him feeling his strength and appreciating his concern.

It didn't take long for them to make their way out of the city gates and back to their encampment. Once they arrived, Alistair had Delia sit at the campfire while he relit the fire. Zevran sat, sharpening his daggers, while he thought about the day's events. Nehairel couldn't have been on the ship as a coincidence, not if Rendon Howe had looked for him the day of the ship's arrival. The assassin himself had been hired by the Arl to kill the Grey Wardens, so he knew first hand that the man had no hesitations in destroying whoever stood in his way. Why would the man be after someone as lovely as Delia? Zevran needed answers, and he intended to have them sooner rather than later.


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32: Revelations

Before long, the other four returned from their own Denerim adventure. It seemed that everyone was exhausted from the day's events. Leliana took it upon herself to cook some mutton acquired from the town butcher into a savory stew, completed with fresh bread from the bakery. Once dinner was ready, Aeden asked them to all sit together around the fire so that they could share the day's adventures.

Aeden's group had found Brother Genitivi's home, but there was a man there acting as his assistant who had actually killed the real assistant and hidden the body in the bedroom. iH Aeden fought the man with the help of Sten and Wynne's spells, and after he was dead they found documents describing Genitivi's discovery of a town named Haven. According to the research, Haven would be where the Sacred Ashes would be found. Aeden wanted to travel to the Lake Calenhad Docks to find out why the phony assistant tried to convince them to travel there, with the side benefit that he had learned from Sten that the Qunari had lost his sword in a battle just outside of the town there, and Aeden intended to search for it.

Aeden had also taken some jobs from the Chantry Board as well as from several other sources. Some of the jobs were a bit on the shady side, but they paid well and the group needed money. Wynne also pointed out there had been a posting on the city wall from 'friends' of the wardens that should be investigated carefully.

When Alistair spoke about his group's experience he tried to choose his words carefully. He explained how Zevran discovered the man following them and exactly what was said about the man. Zevran added his questions about why Arl Howe would hire Gibbet after inquiring about Nehairel, the man who had tried to kill Delia and her brother. There had to be a reason why Howe would want Delia in custody, but he couldn't understand why she would pose a threat to the man's ambitions.

Delia squirmed against Alistair, clearly distressed. She didn't know how, but the Arl had to know about her abilities. Deciding it was time that they all knew exactly why she might be in danger, she cleared her throat.

"I think it's time I explained something to you all that I have kept secret all this time. I have to trust that you will all keep my secret, as I believe I am putting you all in danger now. Somehow Rendon Howe must have learned about me, although I don't know how he could have." She looked at her companions. Most were looking at her with curiosity, but Aeden had an almost angry look on his face.

Alistair looked at her with concern. "Are you sure this is what you want?"

She nodded and squeezed his hand. Delia then described her gift and why she was in danger from it. Wynne gave her a knowing nod.

"Delia, you have no magical abilities then?" As Delia shook her head in response, Wynne nodded in understanding. "I have known only one other person with your ability who was not a mage. We actually had him living within the Circle for his safety. There's always someone who knows, and the more people who know the greater the danger of betrayal. Can you think of anyone who would benefit from saying something?"

Delia shook her head. "The only people who knew outside of Antiva were my brother and my grandfather. My teacher wrote to my grandfather about my ability so that he would understand how important it was for me to remain at the school."

Zevran's face grew grim. "Was there anyone in your grandfather's home who might have read his letters? Someone trusted with his most private possessions?"

Delia thought a moment and then a memory came to her. Her grandfather's seneschal, Jerzan, had access to every aspect of her grandfather's Bannorn. When grandfather died, her father had dismissed the man without any severance, and she had learned through her mother's letters that he threatened her father with revenge for 'putting his family on the street'. She described the man, and Zevran nodded knowingly.

"Yes, this man was in the Arl's employ in Denerim when I met with him. He must have sold the information about you and the Arl has decided you are a threat to him. You are most likely the only person who could have warned the Teryn of Howe's impending betrayal."

Her heart sank. Had she only had the thought to touch any of Howe's men, she might have saved Aeden's family, and her own. Tears came unbidden to her eyes, causing Alistair to put his arm around her waist.

Aeden noticed her distress, and he quickly went to her and knelt in front of her. Taking her hand, he kissed her knuckles softly. "Delia, you had no opportunity to see Howe or his men. From the moment you arrived at Highever, my mother had you , your mother and brother all in the gardens while Father had Howe in the gathering room with the few men he brought with him. You can't blame yourself since you had no chance to do anything."

Delia looked at him with a sad smile. "Thank you, Aeden. However, I wish I could have done something."

"I know. But there is nothing you could have done. I am glad, however, that you and I have survived together."

She leaned forward and kissed him on his forehead. Then she stood and faced her companions. "I am afraid that I am putting you all into greater danger, merely by my presence here with you." She looked down, clearly in misery, before she continued. "It may be better for you all if I found somewhere else to remain, perhaps I should stay at the tower like the person Wynne mentioned. I have grown to care for each of you as if you are my own family, and I couldn't bear it if I caused your harm. Especially if I could prevent it."

Aeden stepped up to her. "Nonsense. I know that I, for one, will not hear of your leaving us. We can protect you better than a bunch of mages who just survived an onslaught of abominations!" He looked around at his companions. "I would like to know how the rest of you feel. I vote that Delia remains with us. What say each of you?"

Sten stood up. "You are needed to face the Blight. You will stay."

Leliana and Wynne both agreed that Delia should remain, with Dusty barking in agreement.

Morrigan looked at her new found friend and scowled. "For you to even think that we would abandon you to that mage prison is an insult in itself. You are far safer with us than with those sheep."

Zevran chuckled at her response. "As for me, mi querida, I have sworn myself to you. I am your man, as you know. No matter where you go, I will go with you. Personally, I would like to remain here. We can do much more with our friends than apart from them."

Alistair grinned at her and took her hands into his. "I feel the same way as Zev, as much as I hate to say it. I swore to you that I will protect you, no matter what. My vote makes it unanimous – you'll stay with us and we will face every threat together." He then kissed her in front of their entire group. Despite the deep blushing on both of their faces, he looked at her with devotion. "I never want to be apart from you. Not… ever."

Delia started to cry. She loved every member of this party even more after their affirmation of their friendships. As her tears fell onto Alistair's strong shoulder, she silently thanked the Maker yet again for her good fortune and she swore that she would work her hardest to assist them in any way she could.

Zevran walked to Aeden and handed him the papers taken from Gibbet. "We found these documents on the sailor. I believe we should investigate these White Falcons."

Aeden nodded. "Sergeant Kylon asked us to remove them from The Pearl. Tomorrow I want you, Zev, along with Sten and Wynne to go with me to The Pearl to find these men, get more information about whatever it is Howe hired them for and finally to remove them as Kylon asked. For now, I suggest we all get a good night's sleep. Sten, you and Dusty take first watch, followed by me and Leliana and then Alistair and Zevran."

The group broke up and they went to their respective tents except for Delia and Alistair. As they sat there, she sighed and leaned against him, feeling his strength at her back. He put his arms around her and pulled her closer into him, then kissed her on her ear.

"You know, I've been thinking..."

She relaxed into his chest. "What have you been thinking about?"

"Back when we left Goldanna's, you told me I need to look out for myself more than I do. I'm beginning to think you were right. I need to stop letting everyone else make my decisions for me. I need to take a stand and start thinking about myself for a change, or I'm never going to be happy. So… from this point on, I'll be looking out for myself more, and what it is that I want. I should have done this a long time ago."

He turned her around so that she faced him before continuing. "I just wanted to thank you. Meeting you is the one bright spot out of everything that's happened. It's the best thing that's ever happened to me."

Delia put her arms around his neck and kissed him. "I feel the same way." As she nuzzled into his neck, she sighed. "You really need to get some sleep if you are to be awake for your watch. Would you spar with me at first light?"

"Of course." They both stood and kissed again before saying good night to each other and entering their own tents.

It certainly felt to Alistair that the night passed too quickly as Aeden woke him for his watch. He stretched with a yawn and then pulled his armor on. At the fireside he was joined by Zevran, who motioned to the Templar to walk with him. At the edge of the camp, Zevran motioned to Alistair to sit.

As they sat, the elf looked overly serious. "Alistair, I am concerned for Delia. I do not believe that Howe intends for her to be dead, or he would have hired other Crows. On the positive side, I do not believe the Arl has any knowledge of whom she travels with. This gives us an advantage, at least for her."

Alistair nodded at the elf. "I want to know more about the White Falcons' part in all of this. And what does Howe want with her? I think there must be more to his relationship with either her father or grandfather. Does he want revenge for some reason?"

"I do not know, my friend. In the morning I shall try to put my ear to the ground, as they say, in order to learn as much as I can while we are in the city. You must keep your eyes on our dear Delia and be certain she remains safe. I believe that as long as we are this close to Denerim she is in grave danger. Be wary, and keep Dusty on guard. The mabari can sense approaching rogues better than even the lovely Leliana."

As Zevran stood to continue his walk around the camp perimeter, Alistair put his hand on his arm to stop him. "Zevran, I know we aren't friends. Heck, I don't even know if I can trust you, but I do believe you have Delia's best interests at heart. I can see that. And because of that, I do trust that you will do everything you can to find out what's going on. You have my shield and sword at your back. You know that, I hope."

The elf grinned shamelessly. "Yes, and I can dream about your sword being at my disposal because of your own desires," he said as Alistair blushed. "But, I shall have to wait until another day. Come now; let us verify our friends' safety."

Alistair nodded and stood. The two walked around the camp and resettled near the fire. Zevran poured some hot tea for each of them, and they sat there quietly, deep in their own thoughts, until the sun rose. Delia was out of her tent soon after the sun made its appearance, and Zevran silently nodded when Alistair stood to go with her for her morning practice.

When Delia and Alistair found a spot at the edge of camp Delia started stretching her muscles. It always amazed Alistair that she went through this entire routine every morning. The only warm up he did was to swing his sword a few times to get his arm moving, but she seemed to be grace personified. He leaned against a tree, just watching her as she moved.

Delia happened to glance over at the warrior as he stood there watching her, a goofy smile plastered across his face. She couldn't help but laugh at him, but then she asked him to spar. He picked up his practice sword and moved forward. They started slowly, with well-placed movements, but as they picked up speed, Alistair tried to be less predictable. Delia needed to practice anticipating the warrior's movements, to stay ahead of her opponent. Her grace and intellect were her strengths, and if she missed a single clue she would lose her battles.

After they both worked up a good sweat, they returned to the campfire for breakfast. The others were already eating heartily of the eggs purchased the day before. They were quite a luxury, as most days breakfast was some form of porridge with perhaps a few sausages or stale bread. After finishing their meal, Aeden led his selected group back to the city. The remaining travelers spent the day grooming the horses, mending tents and clothes, and otherwise performing tasks that were normally put off.

By the time Aeden returned in the afternoon, the equipment was in far better condition than when they had left. Delia had already started dinner, and the aroma made Aeden's stomach growl. He decided to discuss the day's events over the meal so that everyone would be a part of the discussion.

Feeling the dirt and grime from the day's activities, Aeden decided to take a towel and wash himself at the nearby stream. Whistling for Dusty, he walked the short distance from camp to the water's edge and removed his shirt. It was too cold to immerse himself, so he wet the towel and washed the filth from his skin. His thoughts drifted to his companions and the impressions they had made on him.

He found Sten to be the easiest to understand. After all, both men were warriors, so they had battle strategies in common. Wynne was naturally a healer and acted almost like the mother hen of the group. The two rogues were the most confusing. Both were definitely hiding their pasts, and although he didn't want to, he found himself starting to trust them both. Zevran had an honor code which separated his professional and personal endeavors. Aeden was relieved that Zevran's code had made his contract against the wardens invalid, as the elf had proven to be quite an adversary. Leliana, however, was the one person that he just couldn't seem to understand.

On the surface, she was a Chantry initiate, and seemingly very devoted. Yet, her rogue skills were quite advanced, and he had even seen her pick a few pockets while they were in Denerim. When she would talk about Orlais and her upbringing, she never would speak about what happened to her when her guardian died. Aeden found himself intrigued by the bard, and he wanted to learn more about her. There was something about her that pulled him to her, and he wasn't quite sure how to feel about it.

Aeden put both hands into the water and splashed his face a final time with the cold water. It was time to eat dinner and talk to the others about the plans he had been working out. He put a clean shirt on and brought the newly washed shirt to hang near the fire to dry.

As he arrived at the camp fire, Delia handed him a bowl heaped with meat and vegetables. He took a seat across from Leliana and tried very hard to not stare at the red-haired bard. Leliana caught him looking at her and smiled, making Aeden blush and look away.

After everyone ate their meals, Aeden began the discussion of the day's events. He explained how he led his group to an establishment named The Pearl, which was one of the whorehouses near the docks. The men had caused trouble for the owner of the house, and she wanted them out as soon as possible.

When Aeden arrived with his group, the mercenaries hadn't arrived for their day's debauchery. Aeden took a seat at a table on one side of the main room with Wynne, while Sten and Zevran sat at a table on the other side. When the mercenaries entered the building, Zevran made his way over to listen to their conversation from the shadows. When the men's banter proved to be worthless to what he wanted to know, Zevran made his way back to Aeden, and with the help of Sten, they made a move on the White Falcons.

After the mercenaries were subdued, Aeden questioned them. He learned that they were, indeed, hired by Rendon Howe to find and capture Delia, but the men didn't know why, nor did they care. Aeden ran them off from the Pearl, trying to be merciful; however the Falcons wouldn't listen to him.

When Aeden and his party left The Pearl, they located Sergeant Kylon for their payment. The White Falcons followed, however, and refused to accept the direction of the city guard. A battled ensued, and between the warden's group and the guardsmen, the Falcons were eradicated.

Although Aeden had learned nothing about Howe's plans for Delia, he was a bit more at ease. It looked as though Howe had no idea that Delia was traveling with them, and so it seemed she would be safe with them, at least for the time being. Keeping her away from Denerim would be a good idea, as Zevran had learned that Jerzan was now in Howe's employ as his personal secretary.

They would leave in the morning to travel to a town named Haven. Brother Genitivi wrote about the town in his research journal as the location where he believed the Urn of Sacred Ashes to be located. One side trip Aeden wanted to take was to go back to the Lake Calenhad docks so they could locate the field where Sten had battled the darkspawn with his brethren. Perhaps they would find his sword there and restore the Qunari's honor.

After they settled on the watches for the night, the group settled into their tents for the night. They would have an early start in the morning, and Aeden wanted to get as much distance between them and Denerim as possible in the next day. As Aeden settled into his own tent for some much needed sleep, he couldn't help but worry about the one area they would need to travel through: Bann Loren's own lands. He prayed to the Maker they would not run into any of Loren's men, but he especially prayed they wouldn't meet the man himself.


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33: Homeland

As the sun rose over Denerim, Delia woke and readied herself for her morning practice. It would be a long day, so she decided to cut her routine short and only perform her stretches. As she walked back to her tent to begin packing Zevran walked up to her.

"My lovely lady, I should like to have a moment of your time."

She looked at him and nodded. Zevran took her arm and walked her to a fallen log at the edge of the camp. He motioned to her to sit and sat next to her, taking her hands into his.

"Mia cara, we shall be traveling through your father's lands today, and I must insist you travel close to me. I am most concerned with encountering his men and what they might do should they recognize you. While we were in Denerim I took the liberty of purchasing a new helm for you… while it is not something that I would like to see you wear with any regularity, I believe you should wear it today."

He pulled a bag from in back of the log and handed it to Delia. As she removed the helm, she understood why Zevran didn't want her to wear it regularly. It completely covered her entire head, with merely cutout areas for her eyes and mouth. The nose had a protrusion with an opening where her nostrils would be. As the helm was made of black leather, it almost had the look of an executioner's hood.

"Well, Zev… it is certainly different. I'm not sure if you are protecting me or working through some sort of fetish!" Her eyes glinted with laughter.

"Ah, ha, ha, that is quite amusing, really!" Zevran's grin grew wide. "Alas, my dear, I do not believe we shall have time for my fetishes today." He moved closer to her and put his mouth so close to her ear that his lips tickled against her skin. "Perhaps we could pursue that idea of yours tonight. You are most welcome to join me in my tent. Your wish is my desire, mi querida."

Laughing nervously, Delia stood up. "Well, I'll keep that in mind, Zev. In the meanwhile, I think we had best eat our breakfast and pack so that we can get our travels underway, don't you think?" She nearly tripped as she quickly turned and jogged across to the camp fire.

Zevran watched her as she rushed off with a low chuckle forming in his throat. As much as he tried to pretend that he could act as her brother, he found that she continued to intrigue him as a woman. He watched as she sat next to the Templar. When Alistair bent to her face to kiss her, the elf felt a pang of jealousy. He tried to tell himself that her protection was simply another contract, and he could have no room in his hardened heart for feelings for her, but it seemed to be a losing battle. Zevran took a deep breath, stretched, and walked to the camp fire. Leliana handed him a dish with eggs and bacon, and a tankard with fresh cider. He smiled at the bard and thanked her before settling down on the opposite side of the fire from Delia and Alistair.

Aeden tried to hurry everyone along in order to get onto the road as early as possible. He was also very aware that the route he had planned took their party through Bann Loren's lands, and he wanted to get through the area well before darkness overtook them.

It was midafternoon when they found themselves nearing the River Dane. Zevran had gone ahead of the main group to scout the road, and he rode back to them in a hurry. As he approached Aeden, the warden could see the worry on the elf's face.

"Loren's men have closed the road ahead. It seems they currently align themselves with Logain, and they fight the men from other bannorns who do not share their alliance. I suggest we find an alternative route."

Aeden frowned and pulled out his map. Delia moved her horse closer, hoping he would notice her, but when he didn't she cleared her throat. Aeden looked up at her and she smiled at him.

"Did you forget that I might know some paths that even your map wouldn't show?" When Aeden stuck his tongue out at her, she laughed heartily, but then pointed at a spot on the map north of their current position. "If you take us over here, there is a little used bridge that leads to an old hunting cabin. If we follow that trail, we can meet up with another path that will lead south again to the Lake Calenhad docks. The trails are so narrow that we will need to take the horses in a single file and it is far enough out of our way that we may need to camp in the woods for the night, but we can avoid my father's men with no problem."

"I suppose you will need to be near the front then, Delia. Might I suggest that you wear the, uh, helm that Zevran bought? Just in case, you know…" Aeden tried to hide his amusement at the sight of the odd helm, but his eyes gave him away.

Delia punched him in the arm, earning a yelp from the warden. "I will, only to conceal my identity, but don't you _dare_ say a word."

Aeden took his hand and made a motion at his lips as if he were buttoning his mouth closed, but as she placed the ugly leather monstrosity on her head he couldn't help but allow his laughter to escape. When she shot him a nasty look, he put his hands out to each side, palms up and put as innocent a look as he could on his face. "Sorry, I just can't help it. You almost look like a darkspawn with that _thing_ on your face. It's just not blotched enough."

With a humph, Delia kicked her horse and started north across the field toward the forest edge. They traveled for a bit along the edge of the woods until they found the path they were looking for. Delia allowed Zevran and Aeden to take the lead. As they neared the first bridge, Zevran raised his hand and motioned for the group to dismount silently. They tied the horses and quietly moved to the area of Zevran's concern.

As they reached the top of a hill, they noticed a group of Loren's men down below. They had a prisoner with them – a man wearing the colors of Cailan's army. A silent look passed between Zevran and Aeden, and with a nod from Aeden the group attacked the Bann's men. Before they could even reach them, one of the soldiers ran his sword through the prisoner, leaving him to his death on the ground. The warden's group easily overpowered the soldiers, leaving one alive to question. Their first concern was the wounded prisoner.

Aeden recognized the man as Elric Maraigne, one of Cailan's honor guards at Ostagar. Elric had always had a close relationship with the king, and seeing the man cut down in front of them before they could save him put salt in the wounds of all the losses they had already suffered. While Elric still drew breath, the man told Aeden how the king had left important papers at Ostagar as well as the sword of King Maric. Elric begged Aeden to go back to Ostagar and retrieve them from the royal chest, and even went as far as to tell him where to find the key. Aeden promised the man they would go, and he was able to slip into a more peaceful death.

Aeden then turned his attention to the one remaining soldier. Delia recognized him immediately as Ser Trent, the second highest ranking officer in her father's command. When the soldier refused to answer Aeden's questions, Delia stepped forward and removed her helm.

"What are you doing?" Aeden looked at her in alarm, but she put her hand out to stop him.

"Aeden, he will answer to me, then he will meet the Maker."

Ser Trent looked at the woman with amusement. "So, you have decided to play warrior? I never would have expected that from you, Lady Delia."

She narrowed her eyes at the man. "I don't _play_ when the times are so serious. I am a Grey Warden recruit, and I suggest you mind your tongue."

The soldier laughed. "So, here your father has believed you to be dead and all you are doing is running around the country pretending to be a Grey Warden! Everyone knows they all died at Ostagar."

"So, my father believes me to be dead? And just how does he think I died?"

"Teryn Logain himself told him that you, your brother and your mother died at Highever when the Couslands' men mutinied. It was a good thing Arl Howe's men showed up when they did, or the good Arl himself would have been killed. It seems that Cousland's men hated him for his aligning with the Orlesians and they decided to stop him before it was too late."

Aeden walked over to slap the man in the face, but Delia stayed his arm. "Ser Trent, this man with me is Aeden Cousland. He and I escaped from Cousland Castle with the help of the Grey Warden Commander, Duncan. The events at the castle did not happen as you were told. It was Arl Howe who attacked and killed everyone in the castle. Teryn Bryce Cousland was no traitor – Rendon Howe is the only traitor from that day, although Teryn Logain proved himself a traitor at Ostagar when he quit the field of battle, leaving our king to die at the hands of the darkspawn."

Ser Trent's eyes grew wide. "You lie! Logain is the Hero of River Dane! He wouldn't be a traitor to Ferelden!"

Delia looked at the man gravely. "Ser Trent, you have known me for many years. You taught my brother how to use a bow. You taught me how to ride a horse! Have I ever lied to you or in any way been deceitful?"

"No, my lady, but to believe…"

"I assure you it is the truth. You were sworn to my mother's service. Has my father treated you well since her death?"

He looked down. "No, my lady. Your father treats those of us who were contracted to his service through your mother almost as if we are as bad as the Orlesians themselves." He grinned angrily. "You are actually doing me a service by killing me today. I have no other options in my life. It's either serve that dog of a man, or die in his service."

Aeden sneered. "I think you are doing a disservice to dogs everywhere when you compare Bann Loren to a dog…"

"Aeden…" Delia scolded.

"Sorry, Delia, it needed to be said." He smiled apologetically at her. "You know that we don't hold your father against you."

She looked back at the soldier and her expression grew grave. "As I see it, you now have two different options – you may either die at the hands of my friend, the Crow assassin, or you may join us and serve all of Ferelden by helping us to unite the country and battle our true enemy, the darkspawn."

Alistair jumped. "Do you really think this is a good idea? You already have the assassin, no offense, Zevran," to which Zevran smiled and shook his head. "Do you really want one of your father's men?"

She looked at Alistair and put her hand on his arm to comfort him. "Ser Trent is one of my _mother's_ men. He was in her service for years, and had been sent to her by my grandfather himself."

"But can you trust him?" He looked at her questioningly.

Turning back to Ser Trent, Delia offered him her hand. "Ser Trent, please stand and look me in the eye. If you pledge yourself to our cause, I will know if I can trust you by what I see in your eyes." He took her hand and stood, and Delia's gift took over yet again. _Placed as a squire with my grandfather as a child… his career has not been easy in my father's employ… he has been asked to torture the peasants for their taxes, much to his personal sorrow… he is a good man who has been forced to do many things he found immoral or at least unethical… he is trustworthy and wishes to right his wrongs…_

Ser Trent stood and wiped his brow with the back of his hand. "My Lady Delia, if what you and your friends say is true, I would gladly serve you and Ferelden." He allowed a smile to play on his mouth. "You know, you remind me of your mother. She was always practical and kind. I never understood how a woman as lovely as she was could ever find herself with a man such as your father."

Delia's face grew sad at her memories of her mother's stories. "My father changed the way he presented himself to fit whatever situation he was in. My mother was a means to an end to him, and he tricked her into believing that he loved her when what he really wanted was my grandfather's power and position." She took a deep breath and straightened herself. "So, Ser Trent, do you swear your allegiance to us?"

He bowed in a soldier's salute, placing his fist across his chest. "My lady, I swear to you and your party my allegiance. I only hope that I may use my sword to help end the Blight we face and reunite Ferelden to the glory our country held when good King Maric held the throne."

Aeden moved to the soldier and grasped his arm. "Welcome to our merry band. By any chance, do you have a horse of your own somewhere nearby?"

Trent nodded. "Yes, they are about fifty paces to the west. Now that the others are dead, I suppose we could take theirs as well…"

Zevran shook his head. "No, we should send them back to their stable. If we bring too many of the Bann's horses with us, we shall only find more trouble, no?"

Aeden agreed. They retrieved Trent's horse and rejoined the rest of the party. As they mounted their horses to continue their journey, Zevran maneuvered his mount to Trent's side.

"My friend, I shall warn you right now that Lady Delia is under my personal protection. Should you decide at any time to betray her, I give you fair warning that I will be certain to watch you die a very slow and painful death. I guarantee that each of us in our party will be watching you, even though I make it my business to know _everything_ that happens to each of us. Do I make myself clear?"

Trent nodded at the elf. "I have enough contacts in Antiva to understand who and what the Crows are. I assure you, Zevran, I have always respected Lady Delia. Her mother and grandfather were always very good to me, and I am only too happy to be working for people who I can respect. You will have no trouble from me."

Zevran nodded in response and then made his way to the lead position. They traveled for several hours before Aeden found a location to camp for the night. The group settled into what had become their routine for setting up the camp, and before long the tents were up and a fire pit was built. Aeden invited the others to join him fishing, and so Trent, Leliana and Wynne went to the river's edge. Wynne had never been fishing before, and she was so excited when she felt her first fish on the line that she nearly fell into the rushing water! Had it not been for the quick reaction of Trent grabbing her around her waist, she surely would have been doused.

The fishing party returned within an hour with more than enough fish for everyone to feast upon. Delia was feeling a bit spoiled. After all, the last few days they had eaten fresh eggs in the morning and the dinners had been either fresh meat from the Denerim butchers or the freshly caught trout they ate that night. After the full meal and the long day of travel, no one felt like remaining awake for long. Everyone retreated to their tents, save for Sten and Leliana who took the first watch.

As the camp slept, Delia's spirit wandered to the Fade. In her dream, her mother came to her. Smiling at her daughter, Landra held out her arms and gave Delia a hug. "I have missed you, Delia."

"I have missed you too. I wish…" Delia looked at her mother sadly.

Landra sat on a couch and patted the cushion next to her. Delia sat next to her mother and with her mother's arm around her shoulder she leaned her head onto her mother's shoulder.

"I know, child. I have felt your sadness, even from the distance of the Fade. We don't have much time, I'm afraid, and there is so much I need to tell you. The most important thing you need to know is this – as horrible a man as your father is, he does not believe the garbage that Rendon Howe has told him. I wouldn't trust your father, and yet when you are at the Landsmeet I believe your father will be instrumental in helping you. Until then, you must stay away from him. You can trust Trent – he will help you avoid your father as he knows his schedule. And please," Landra's eyes glinted in merriment, "_please_ get rid of that awful helm! I can't stand seeing my beautiful daughter with that… _thing_ over her face!"

Delia laughed. "Oh, you saw that, did you? It is awful, isn't it! I'll look for something a bit less… obviously disgusting!"

Both women laughed together. Then Landra faced her daughter and took her face between her hands. "Remember, my dear girl, I love you more than life itself. I couldn't be more proud of you and your companions, and I have every faith that you will be successful. Stay safe… and be happy." She kissed her daughter on the forehead, and then the world around her seemed to turn into a mist.

Delia woke inside her tent with a smile on her face, even though the loss of her mother stabbed at her heart. "I promise, Mother, to strive for both." Rolling onto her side, she fell back to sleep, feeling more confident in her decisions.


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34: More Secrets

When the sun rose, Aeden tried to hurry his companions along. He wanted to be at the Lake Calenhad docks by midday. A proper meal in the tavern would be welcomed by everyone, even though they had been eating relatively well. Trent proved to be a huge help when it came to packing the camp's equipment. He had a great deal of experience on the road, and he had an ability to pack the cart in a way that allowed extra space for a person should one of them need to rest instead of ride.

As the party rode along the narrow trails, Delia had memories flood over her mind. She remembered a time when her grandfather had taken both her and her brother along the very trail they currently rode along. The two had been young children, maybe eight or nine years of age. The sight of the second bridge made her nearly gasp. At the side of the bridge there was a glint of metal in the sunlight that caught her eye. She dismounted from her horse and dug the object from the dirt. It was a golem statuette. She remembered this particular toy – her grandfather had bought it from a merchant in Redcliffe as a birthday present for her. Unfortunately she had lost it on their journey home, and she remembered being devastated at the loss. Brushing the dirt off the toy brought unbidden tears to her eyes.

Before she could put it into her pack, Alistair walked up behind her. "Is that a golem doll? I remember I used to have one when I was a child." He reached out and took it from her. "Mine was almost exactly the same, but the stones in the eyes were red, not green like this one. Huh… what a coincidence!" He handed it back to Delia and she placed it into her bag.

"It's not a doll, Alistair, it's a statuette. A figurine. There was actually a collectable set. My brother had the one with the red eyes, but my favorite color was green, so my grandfather bought this one for me. I can't believe I found it after all these years."

Alistair noticed the tears in her eyes and lifted her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles. "Perhaps it is your grandfather's way of letting you know he still watches over you."

Delia looked at him with a warm smile. "Thank you, Alistair. That is a beautiful thought."

He smiled back at her. "That's what I'm here for. The occasional smattering of beautiful thoughts to lift your spirits."

Laughing at him, she remounted her horse, and the group continued toward the docks. The weather was good and the trail was firm, so they made quick progress. It wasn't long before they could see the docks in the distance. Aeden decided to split the group into two tasks. The first would go to the battlefield where Sten had lost his sword to see if they could locate it. The second would go to the tavern to get information about Brother Genitivi. They had spoken to the tavern owner when they were last at the docks, and he seemed like an amiable man.

Aeden decided to send Alistair with Sten, Trent and Leliana to search for the sword. Delia's gift might come in handy if they needed to decide if the tavern owner was being truthful, so Aeden wanted her along with Zevran, Morrigan and Wynne. Zev would spot any trouble before anyone else, and having the combination of mages gave his group both Morrigan's freezing spells and Wynne's healing prowess.

As Aeden led his group into the tavern, the first thing he noticed was a change in the friendly atmosphere. The tavern owner was obviously distressed and nervously kept looking at a group of men sitting at a table in the corner. The men seemed disheveled, and they watched Aeden's group from over the top of their tankards of ale.

When Aeden tried to speak to the tavern owner about Brother Genitivi and the knights searching for him, the poor man looked to be as scared as a mouse cornered by a very large cat. Keeping his voice as quiet as possible, Aeden was only able to learn that the men in the corner were trouble and, although the barkeep didn't know exactly what had happened to the knights, he suspected the men in question had killed them. The barkeep tried to convince Aeden to leave quickly and quietly, but instead Aeden reassured the man that he would take care of the problem and be back soon.

He led his group out of the tavern and was immediately attacked by a group of thugs that had hidden among the dry-docked boats. Since Aeden was the only warrior, he relied on the two rogues and the mage to disable as many of their assailants as possible. He was pleasantly surprised by Delia – she was able to kill two men completely on her own. Her skills had grown since the last time he had sparred with her a week before, and he found he had to concentrate on the task at hand to prevent himself from being distracted simply from watching her movements. She was becoming very quick on her feet, and her style was interesting in that she avoided being hit more than actually hitting. When she did have her blade meet her opponent she always drew blood, and her daggers were always exceptionally well placed even if they didn't have a lot of power behind them.

After the battle was over, Zevran and Aeden stacked the corpses behind the boat shack. After they were done, he brought his group back into the tavern and told a very relieved owner what happened outside. In gratitude, the owner offered them all a free meal, which Aeden accepted with a knowing smile. The poor man didn't know what he was in for, having two Grey Wardens with their appetites eating on the house!

Alistair arrived at the tavern a short time later. They hadn't located Sten's sword, but had found a man scavenging the battlefield who told them there had been another man scavenging before him who had found a huge sword. The man had traveled to the Orzammar market. Hopefully they would find Sten's sword there.

The party gratefully sat down to a meal of shepherd's pie and fresh cider. The tavern owner's eyes went wide when both Alistair and Aeden ate entire pies by themselves, with the rest of the group members chuckling knowingly in the background. When they all had eaten their fill, the group filed out the door. Aeden stayed behind, and gave a relieved barkeep fifty silvers to help defray the cost of their meal.

As Zevran and Trent readied the horses, Aeden gathered the rest of the group to tell them their next stop would be a town named Haven. Brother Genitivi's research log had mentioned this town, and although it didn't exist on their map the description of the location was quite clear. They would ride south, past Redcliffe and onto the Frostback Mountains.

They rode through the afternoon, and when the sun was beginning to get low in the sky Aeden found a clearing off the main road to set up their camp for the night. After the tents were raised, Leliana and Trent started making dinner while Alistair and Delia set out to collect wood for the fire.

When Alistair and Delia walked back to the campfire they were laughing. As they set their armfuls of wood down, Alistair playfully grabbed Delia's arm and pulled her in for a kiss. Seeing this, Ser Trent jumped to his feet and pulled the Templar off.

"Keep your hands off her, you bastard," Trent hissed through his clenched teeth.

Alistair pushed him off. "I don't remember telling _you_ about my bastard status, and besides, who do you think you are?"

"Someone who cares about my lady's virtue. You will keep your hands off of her, or I swear…"

Delia pushed her way between the two warriors. "Ser Trent, mind your place. You swore your allegiance to me, and if you cannot work within the guidelines I set in place for you, I'm sure the wardens would be more than happy to hurry along your travels to the Maker."

"But my lady…"

She looked at him angrily. "No, Ser Trent. You have no right to intervene on my behalf, even if you are worried about my virtue. You may have worked for my father, but you are not him. My relationship with Alistair is no concern of yours."

"I beg to differ. Your mother would say otherwise…"

Her eyes filled with tears quickly. "My mother is dead. You cannot speak for her. Besides," she looked warmly at Alistair, "I believe she would have approved of Alistair wholeheartedly. He is a good man, strong and kind, and he has never been anything but a gentleman. I expect that you will never have an outburst like this again. Do I make myself clear?"

Trent nodded and looked at the ground. Thoughts of the past circled through his brain. Whatever would Landra think of this relationship her daughter was having with this Grey Warden? He knew she used to have such high hopes for both her children's futures, and now she was dead. It was a miracle that Delia was even alive, and he owed it to Landra to keep her alive and have her take her rightful place as the head of her grandfather's Bannorn.

Landra… the thought of her reopened the pain of her loss. He had wanted to travel to Highever with her as her personal protector, but her husband prevented his going by making him collect the taxes from the peasants. He should have had the lower ranking officers perform that duty, but the Bann insulted him by forcing the duty on him instead. If only Landra's father had seen how brutally her husband treated her and had allowed her to set him aside… but that would never happen now. Landra was dead, at the hands of Rendon Howe's men, and Trent suspected her own husband had a part in her death.

Trent walked across the camp to where the horses were tied and decided to try to brush the horses in an attempt to regain control over his thoughts. As he brushed the horses, his eyes kept focusing on Delia. Oh, she looked so much like her mother! Her smile was exactly the same, although her hair… well, her hair was more the color of her father's. If only she knew… would she be happy knowing the truth of his relationship to her, or would she just refuse to accept it and have him killed?

"_Landra, I wish you could be here to tell me what to do. She isn't safe with your husband, yet is she safe with these wardens? I can't help but want to throw my arms around her and have her acceptance, but would that be safe for her? Would her companions keep our secret? I wish you could give me a sign to tell me what to do."_

He looked up to the night sky, just in time to see a shooting star. Trent smiled, knowing he had his sign and what he needed to do. "_Thank you, Landra. I will tell her. Know that you will always own my heart my love. I'll look for the first opportunity to tell her that she is __**our**__ daughter."_

Delia was sitting at the campfire feeling uncomfortable once she noticed Ser Trent watching her. Did he mean to betray her to her father? She shivered, remembering the last time she left her father's home. His fury never seemed to leave him, and even as she walked out the door he was screaming. She never understood why her father hated his own children so much. All she ever wanted was her father's love, but she knew it wasn't possible. She prayed that Trent would be the trustworthy person she believed him to be, because the alternative of returning to her father was unbearable.


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35: Family

Aeden hated it when his companions dawdled in the mornings, especially when they seemed to be so close to finishing one of their objectives. According to Brother Genitivi's research log, they should reach the Village of Haven in less than half a day. He was anxious to find the town and locate the Urn of Sacred Ashes as quickly as possible, since he felt as if they had already spent enough time trying to find a way to save Arl Eamon.

The only person he could count on to be prompt was Delia. She was up every day with the sun, and would never complain if he asked her to make her morning training session short. She was already packing camp equipment in to their cart, having already packed her own tent and gear, while everyone else was still taking their own tents down and packing them into their bags.

As soon as possible, Aeden had them traveling again. Paying close attention to the information in the research book, he was able to locate a long neglected road exactly where the research said it would be. The followed the road, which had the appearance of an overgrown logging trail, to the base of a hill. At the top of the hill they could see a wooden observation post and a lone guard. Otherwise, they would have passed by the path up the hill without thinking.

A churning in Aeden's stomach made him feel that something was not right, so he decided to split his group. He would investigate the town with Alistair, Zevran and Wynne, leaving the rest of the party camped a short distance away. Aeden led the group back along the trail until he found a location that would be adequate. Before he brought his select group back to the town, they ate some jerky and dried fruit.

When it was time for them to investigate the town, he spoke to Alistair and Delia about the ill feelings he had at the base of the hill. Delia was left in command of the group at camp, and if she hadn't heard from Aeden's group by nightfall they were to conduct a stealthed search of the town to find out what had happened to them before returning to Redcliffe for backup troops.

Alistair and Delia looked at each other and asked Aeden for a moment before he led his group away. He nodded his assent and left them to get their packs ready. They would travel on foot instead of putting their valuable mounts in harm's way.

"Don't worry, Delia, we'll be fine." Alistair smiled lopsidedly at her and pulled her in to a warm hug. "Zev will be able to notice trouble coming before Aeden or I could, and with Wynne's spells we're ready for anything."

"I know… it's just that I hate being separated from you. I hope you come back quickly."

He kissed her forehead. "We'll be back as soon as we possibly can. Just do me a favor and don't let Ser Trent steal your affections while I'm gone."

"What? He's old enough to be my father! He's like a favorite uncle, the way he used to watch over Dairren and me… you have nothing to worry about. I promise."

He chuckled. "Good to know. Now, I best be off or Aeden will feed me to the darkspawn." He pressed his lips to hers gently, and then with a sigh he walked to Aeden.

Delia waved goodbye to the four as they left the camp and then organized the rest of the party into setting up the camp for the night. Since they had the entire afternoon to get ready and hunt for dinner, she hoped that they would have time in the evening to relax and enjoy themselves. Leliana was quite a good musician, and Delia loved hearing her sing. It made the campsite feel like their home, and the group was feeling more and more like her adopted family.

Of course, she wasn't certain yet what role Ser Trent would have. Aeden and Leliana were, of course, her surrogate brother and sister, Wynne was the surrogate grandmother, Sten was the wizened old uncle, Zevran was… well… how could she place Zevran? She laughed inwardly as she tried to decide exactly how to place the lecherous elf. And then, of course, there was Alistair. Just thinking about what he meant to her made her blush.

Once the tents were raised, the firewood collected and the camp fire burning brightly, Leliana took Dusty with her to hunt small game for dinner. Sten sat with the extra weapons the group salvaged along their travels and cleaned and sharpened them. Trent felt the time for his conversation had come. All of their companions were busy, and Delia was sitting alone near her tent reading a book. Shoring himself up, he walked over to her.

"Lady Delia, might I have a word with you?"

He looked so serious that Delia became concerned. "Certainly. Are you alright, Ser Trent?"

He fidgeted with his hands. "Um, yes, I'm quite alright, thank you my lady. I just needed to… talk to you. Alone. If that's alright with you."

"By all means. What can I do for you?"

"Well, this isn't easy for me to talk about. Please forgive my nervousness." He sat next to her with a sigh.

Delia was puzzled. He didn't seem to be acting in any way that she should worry about his intentions, but something was definitely wrong. "Take your time, good ser. We have all afternoon." She smiled in an attempt to calm him.

"Right… well… the thing is, there is a certain… history that you need to know about." He took a deep breath before he continued. "Do you know much about how I came to be under your mother's employ?"

"You were squired to my grandfather, and once you became a knight you worked in his employ until he sent you to Mother after Mother married Father."

He nodded his head. "Yes, that's right. Do you know why your grandfather sent me to her?"

She shook her head. "I always assumed that Grandfather wanted to insure her safety with someone he personally trusted."

A sad smile crossed the knight's face. His memory allowed him to see his lady, Landra, and the look of surprise and happiness when he rode up to the door of the manor house she shared with her husband. Almost immediately it was followed by pure fear. She had tried to get him to return to her father's but Trent wouldn't leave. If only he hadn't been so powerless and could have saved her…

"You must have wondered why your grandfather decided to allow your father to have your mother's hand in marriage. It wasn't an advantageous union for her…"

"I did wonder. Grandfather was much savvier at the Landsmeet than her marriage showed. Do you know?" She looked at the knight, puzzled by where his story would lead.

"Your mother wanted to marry someone else… someone of an even lower position. She argued with your grandfather to allow her to marry for love, as her dear friend Eleanor Cousland had done, but he was furious. The man she wanted so desperately to marry, and the man who so desperately wanted to marry her, was a simple knight… a man who at the time had only recently earned his knighthood."

Delia gasped. She suddenly understood what Trent was trying to tell her.

"You were the man she loved, weren't you?"

Sadly he nodded his head. "I loved your mother with more than my whole heart. She became my world; my every thought. I asked your grandfather for her hand, but even though he liked me personally, he couldn't bring himself to allow such a poor match. Instead, he doubled his efforts to find her a husband. We were desperate and loved each other, almost too much. We… allowed ourselves one night together… and she became pregnant."

Delia's eyes went wide. "You mean, you are my father? But why didn't Grandfather allow your marriage after that?"

"He had already arranged your mother's marriage. Even though it wasn't as good a match as he had hoped for, your _father_ had more of a standing at the Landsmeet than I had. We didn't know your mother was pregnant until after the ceremony, and she kept our tryst a secret. That was, until you and your brother were born. It was obvious that you looked nothing like your father. That was when… he became abusive of her. It started out with angry words and evolved over time. He tried to impregnate her with his own, but even the mages swore there was no reason why she couldn't have a child she never was pregnant again.

When your grandfather learned that your mother was being beaten by that brute, he sent me into her employ. He knew that I would not permit her to be hurt any longer, but the damage had already been done. She was never the sweet, beautiful, carefree girl she had been. I had to watch powerlessly as she dulled her pain in alcohol." A sob escaped from his mouth. "She allowed you and Dairren to be sent to Antiva to protect you. You have no idea how difficult that was for her. You two were her only joy in life."

With tears of her own betraying her sadness, Delia put her hand on his arm. "Why are you telling me now? Why didn't she tell us sooner?"

"She was trying to protect your inheritance rights. She feared that your _father_ would somehow get his hands on your grandfather's title and you would lose everything. As it was, your grandfather never actually willed his titles and lands to him, so you are his heir apparent."

"What? But how…"

"Your grandfather left papers with me that granted everything to Dairren, but with you as his successor until he produced an heir of his own. Since he also is gone…"

She looked into Trent's eyes and smiled. "You have no idea how absolutely wonderful this news is! I actually have a father I can be _proud _of!"

It was Trent's turn to be surprised. "You… are proud to be my daughter?"

"Of course I am! You have always been a dear man to both me and my brother. We may not have known of our blood relationship, but we always treasured you. You would take time to be with us when we were home from school in the summers. It seemed as though you spent every spare moment you were permitted with us. You always served Mother honorably, and you always tried to treat everyone the way you wanted them to treat you."

Delia leaned over and hugged him to his shock and amazement. When he realized she wasn't moving, he allowed his arms to encircle her. _His daughter!_ Tears poured from his eyes in happiness. Suddenly, the dangers of her new revelation took over his thoughts and he pulled away and grabbed her by her shoulders.

"Delia, we must be discrete in who knows of our relationship. Bann Loren will be acting in your grandfather's stead and if word should get out before the proper papers can be produced…"

She nodded fiercely. "I understand better than you think. There are already people who would have me killed, for other reasons. My companions have all sworn to keep me safe, as they have sworn to keep Alistair safe."

His look turned to annoyance. "Why would they care about a warden? He was Templar trained… I can tell from his fighting."

"Yes, but with King Caillen dead, Alistair is vital to Fereldan. He is King Maric's bastard son, and the right King of Ferelden. We need him to unite the country to battle the Blight. Maker… I will have a vote at the Landsmeet. This is… actually to our advantage."

Trent blinked. "Maric's son?" His mind spun with the information. He had met Maric, but never knew him well. When he thought about it, he realized it made sense. Alistair had the same quirky humor the former king had shown, and there was no denying a family resemblance. "Well, then… I guess I'll have to rethink my distaste for your… relationship."

She frowned at her father. "His crown is not what interests me. He is a good man, and I care a great deal for him. I expect that you will protect him and his birthright as you protect me."

He nodded. "I swear to you, he has my fealty." He placed a hand on each side of her face. "You look so much like your mother. You have no idea how wonderful it is to have you know who I really am. I hope that you will be proud to know that I am your father."

She leaned forward and kissed her father on the cheek. "I already am."

The two sat there in silence, together, before the sounds of a mabari bark broke the stillness. They looked up to see Leliana walking into camp carrying several ducks while Dusty danced proudly alongside her. The bard's smile was broad as she showed off her prize.

"We certainly shall eat well tonight! Delia, would you mind helping me with these birds?"

"Of course not! Do you have an idea how you want to cook them?"

"Oh, I know exactly which herbs to use. If we force the herbs under the skin before we roast the birds, they will be so succulent… oh, my mouth is already watering so!" She laughed heartily.

Trent stood as Delia rose from their seat. "I wouldn't mind helping as well. We were always taught that many hands lighten the load." He smiled at the two women and followed them to the fire.

The three plucked feathers while the two women discussed cooking techniques and Dusty chased a butterfly. Trent took the opportunity to watch his daughter. He was very proud of the woman she had become. She was the same smart, polite girl he had always known, but alongside her grace she had a strength that seemed to have grown exponentially since he had last seen her.

He smiled when he thought of what his love would have thought of her. _"Oh, Landra, if only you could see her. She has become a wonderful woman. I couldn't be happier! Thank you, my love, for giving me your approval to tell her about us. I have our daughter, safe and actually happy to have me! The Maker has truly blessed me."_


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36: Blessings

Nightfall was fast approaching and Delia was getting nervous. Aeden told her to expect them back at the camp by sunset, and it was starting to get quite dark in the forest. Her nerves were getting the best of her, and even though she tried to read the romance novel borrowed from Wynne she seemed to reread the same paragraph over and over.

The ducks had finished cooking and Leliana was fussing over them trying to decide the best way to serve the meat to her companions. Trent was looking around. He could tell that Delia was worried, and so he decided to walk the perimeter of the campsite to try to see or hear their wayward friends.

It was Sten who first saw the torch coming towards them. Dusty barked a greeting as soon as he heard Aeden's voice, and before long the four were being welcomed back into the camp. Delia found her way to Wynne first and gave her a warm hug. Next it was Aeden, who earned a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Then her eyes found Alistair. He grinned at her and opened his arms, immediately swallowing her up in a hug followed by a kiss. As he hugged her to him, he suddenly was being tapped on the shoulder.

"My good friend, it is my turn, no?" Zevran smiled luridly at Delia. "She has hugged everyone else, now it is time for an Antivan hug and kiss. Delia only deserves the best, don't you agree?"

Alistair frowned at the elf. "No, as a matter of fact I don't agree. Keep your hands to yourself, assassin."

"Oh, you hurt me, my dear Alistair. Perhaps it is that you would rather have Zevran all to yourself? However, I would have thought the Chantry would have taught you it is impolite to not share your toys with others." He wiggled his eyebrows at the Templar, earning a snort of disgust.

Delia laughed and led the four to the fire. Once they sat, she served them the duck that Leliana had so wonderfully prepared. After Leliana had eaten her fill, she tuned her lute and began to play for the entertainment of her friends. Aeden and Alistair were famished after their long day, so it was fortunate that Leliana had been able to catch enough ducks that the two wardens had their own birds.

As soon as the wardens were finished eating, Aeden took Alistair and Delia aside. He told Delia about the mysterious town of Haven and the strange things they discovered. She was shocked when they told her about the sacrificial altar found in one of the houses in the village and the townspeople's attacks, but what truly horrified her was the way the inhabitants twisted the worship of the Maker into a bizarre religion that believed Andraste had risen from the dead as a dragon. She was relieved that her companions were able to defeat the leader of the crazed cult and had returned safely, but was very sad to learn that the fate of most of Arl Eamon's knights was death at the hands of the demented fanatics.

Delia was also relieved to learn that Brother Genitivi was alive and healing, thanks to Wynne's attending to his leg which was injured by the leader of the cultists. Alistair described the abandoned Temple of Andraste, with all of its Tevinter architecture and symbolism. Delia wanted to see it for herself. She pictured the descriptions of the books she studied in school. There had only been a few Tevinter ruins in Antiva that were close enough to her school to visit, but she remembered the excitement she shared with her teachers when the latest ruins had been discovered. Oh, if she could have a chance to study this temple! Unfortunately, with the Blight threatening the country, she couldn't afford to spend the time in an intense study. Inwardly she sighed and wished that she might be able to revisit the ruins after the Blight was defeated.

Aeden noticed that Delia's attention had drifted away, so he poked her in the arm. "Hey, we're over here. We still have a very important place to go before we can return to Redcliffe."

"Where is that, Aeden? I thought if the ashes weren't found in the temple they must not exist."

Aeden and Alistair both looked at her with knowing smiles on their faces. "Wait, you two are looking at me like the cat that swallowed the pigeon…"

Alistair laughed and pushed Aeden. "See, I told you and Wynne that the cat swallowed a pigeon and not a canary!"

Aeden returned his laugh and turned back to Delia. "Well, there is yet _another_ building that we have to visit tomorrow. It is called The Gauntlet, and it is guarded by an ancient warrior named The Guardian. He is sworn to protect the ashes of Andraste until the fall of the Tevinters. We need you to go there with us because there will be traps and riddles that we need to solve to earn the right to visit the ashes. You know more about the Tevinters than anyone else in our little party, and so I think you are the only one who can get us through to the ashes."

Delia's mouth gaped open. "Ancient Tevinter riddles? And traps?"

Alistair chuckled and looked at Aeden. "Didn't I tell you? The way to Delia's heart is through her _brain._"

Delia punched him in his arm and pretended to be angry as Alistair grabbed his arm in mock pain.

"I can't believe you would hurt me!" he whined.

"Alistair, you are too much sometimes!" She leaned over to kiss him on his cheek, but he shifted his head at the last moment so that her lips landed on his. As she pulled away he grinned a lopsided grin her way, earning a smile in return from her.

Delia then shifted her attention back to Aeden. "So, does that mean we go to The Gauntlet at first light?"

He nodded. "Yes, I would like to get there as early as possible. I have no idea how long it will take for us to get through to the ashes, and if there is any way we can get back on the road to Redcliffe tomorrow I think it would be for the best."

Both Delia and Alistair agreed, and the three decided to get to sleep. They would leave for The Gauntlet as early as possible. The only other person they wanted to bring with them was Wynne, as they didn't know if her healing abilities would be important. Aeden volunteered to talk to Wynne and suggested the other two get to sleep. All three stood to walk back to the camp fire, but Delia remembered something important she needed to talk to them about. She asked them to sit back down.

"Um… I learned something very important today."

Both men looked at her in surprise. Alistair was the first to speak. "But your day should have been dull and restful. What happened?"

She recounted everything Ser Trent had confessed to her, earning a look of compassion from Aeden and relief from Alistair.

"So, he isn't interested in _you,_ he wants to _protect you._" Alistair smiled at her warmly.

"Well, he _is_ my father. It's interesting, though, because he is so unsure of himself now that he's told me. He seems to really care about what I feel about him." She grinned wistfully. "I wish my mother had been permitted to marry him. She would have been so much happier."

Aeden leaned forward and gave her a hug. "You would have been too. I'm happy for you. Now, I had best go talk to Wynne before she retires for the night. Sleep well, my sister."

She smiled at him as he walked away. Alistair was running his hand through his hair, as he would do whenever he was nervous about something.

"Delia, may I ask you something?"

"What do you want to know?"

"Well… will this change anything between us? Now that… your father… you know…"

Delia chuckled from deep in her chest. "Not a chance, Alistair. I won't allow it. I… care… too much for… I mean _about_ you." She blushed a deep shade of crimson as she lowered her eyes.

Alistair kissed her forehead gently. "Good to know. Now… I suppose we should get some sleep. Don't want to keep the _commander_ waiting in the morning you know!"

He stood and held out his arm to her. She stood and took his arm, allowing him to escort her to her tent.

Morning couldn't arrive fast enough for Delia. She woke before the sunrise, and although she tried to catch some more sleep she just couldn't. The excitement of seeing an unexplored Tevinter ruin was overwhelming! As soon as the first beams of light illuminated her tent she happily dressed and started the breakfast preparations. The oatmeal was nearly ready when her wardens stumbled out of their tents, both yawning furiously. The three of them happily ate the hot food. Delia had used some cinnamon to season the oatmeal, and the spice helped to clear their sinuses of the morning chill. Wynne joined them soon after and after her first spoon of the gooey mush she commented on how wonderful it tasted which earned her a short lecture on various spice combinations that worked well in oatmeal to make it more interesting to the palette.

Before they left, Leliana and Sten were made aware of their plans for the day. The short journey to The Gauntlet was uneventful, and they reached the deserted building rather quickly. They were careful once they made their final approach to the structure because the dragon the cultists idolized was asleep atop the peak of the mountain.

As they entered the building, Delia's eyes were as wide as dinner plates. All around them were carvings in the stones that told of Andraste's life. Statues of the prophetess lined the walls. Despite some spider webs, the building was in pristine condition. Delia whispered a prayer to the Maker and Andraste that she would be worthy of finding the way to the ashes, and then her eyes saw The Guardian.

He was a tall man with dark hair, styled in the manner of the ancient Tevinters. His armor was highly polished silverite, and the helm was an elaborate style that Delia had never seen before. He bid them welcome and explained that he had been given the task of protecting Andraste's sacred ashes as well as preparing the way for faithful pilgrims who would come to pay their respects. The Gauntlet was created to separate the true pilgrims from the false, and they would have to truly understand Andraste's life path in order to reach the urn.

Just as the foursome was about to undertake the challenge, the Guardian asked them to remain for a moment.

"Before you go, there is something I must ask." He turned to Aeden. "I see the path that led you here was not easy. There is suffering in your past – your suffering and the suffering of others. You abandoned your father and mother leaving them in the hands of Rendon Howe, knowing he would show them no mercy. Do you think you failed your parents?"

Aeden swallowed his pain down. "No, they made me go."

The Guardian raised an eyebrow. "Then you do not dwell on past mistakes – neither yours, nor someone else's."

The pain on Aeden's face was more than apparent. Delia squeezed his arm in support, earning a sorrowful smile from her friend. The Guardian next questioned Alistair, asking if things would have been better if he had followed Duncan onto the battlefield. The wound created by Duncan's death was ripped open yet again, and it took all of Alistair's strength to not give in to his misery. Wynne was the Guardian's next target. He asked if she ever doubted her own beliefs, to which she answered that only a fool would be completely certain of himself.

Delia looked at the ancient warrior and was terrified of what he would ask. The Guardian turned to her, and actually looked sad as he asked his question.

"And you, Delia. You mourn the loss of your mother and brother. Do you put the blame of their losses on your grandfather? Had he allowed your mother to marry her true love, your life would have been completely different. Was he too harsh on your mother? Did his treatment of her destroy what your life should have been?"

Although tears formed in her eyes, her answer was strong. "My life would have been completely different, this is true. However, my life is the way the Maker intended it to be. One must accept the worst parts of their life in order to truly appreciate the best parts. I believe the Maker has a plan for each of us, and there are many lessons He intends for me to learn."

The Guardian nodded and moved aside. "The way is open. Good luck, and may you find what you seek."

The large door behind The Guardian opened, and the four walked slowly into the next room. Inside the room were eight people who were instrumental in Andraste's life. Each had a riddle for the party to solve, which Delia was able to answer with ease. The door to the next room opened, revealing four more spirits.

The first spirit was Teryn Bryce Cousland. Aeden was shocked to see him, and tears fell from his eyes. The spirit comforted his son, and gave him an amulet as a reminder of how much his parents believed in him. The second spirit was King Maric. He smiled upon his son and apologized for Eamon's treatment of him, explaining that Eamon was supposed to raise him as his own and give him the life of a lesser noble. Alistair's feelings for his father were softened as the spirit told him how proud he was of his son, and how he knew in his heart that Alistair was destined for greatness.

The spirit that appeared for Wynne was that of the First Enchanter Edwyn, Irving's predecessor. He had been her mentor in the Tower until his death. He apologized to Wynne for something precious he had taken from her, saying she would find it again before long. Tears actually fell onto her cheeks, something Delia never thought she would see.

The final spirit to approach was Delia's grandfather. He had been a tall, striking man, with ginger red hair. A soft smile was on his face as he turned to his granddaughter.

"My darling girl, I know you have discovered the secret of your birth. I am relieved that you haven't judged me harshly. You have no idea how I have judged myself. You and your brother deserved so much more, as did your mother. I loved you all so very much, and I believed what I forced upon your mother was for her own best interests. You have become a strong, intelligent person, and I am more than proud of how you continue to improve yourself. Your gift is getting stronger as you become more accomplished in your other pursuits. Use it wisely, dear girl, and protect those whom you love." His gaze moved to Alistair and then back to his granddaughter. "Also, I have learned from my mistake with your mother. Marry for love, my pet. Marry someone who will cherish you, as I always cherished I have learned from my mistake with your mother. Marry for love, my pet. Marry someone who will cherish you, as I always cherished you and your brother."

With his last word, he disappeared along with the other spirits, leaving the four shaken. They took a moment to compose themselves before continuing into the next room.

This room was meant to cleanse themselves by battling against their very impure natures. The battle against spirit images of themselves was extremely difficult, but they succeeded and moved to the next room.

A puzzle presented itself in the room. As they stepped onto certain stones, parts of a bridge appeared over a deep chasm in the floor. Delia figured out which stepping stones would create different parts of the bridge, and she directed her friends to move to specific places to create the correct bridge piece at the correct time for her to cross the chasm. As soon as she set foot on the far side, all the pieces of the bridge appeared and her friends joined her before she entered the final room.

A line of fire crossed from one side of the room to the other. The four couldn't hope to cross the fire without suffering lethal burns. Delia looked around the room for a clue. A small altar stood in front of the fire, and carved into its face, in ancient Tevinter, were the words, "Cast off the trappings of worldly life and cloak yourself in the goodness of spirit. King and slave, lord and beggar; be born anew in the Maker's sight."

Delia blushed yet again. As she translated the words for her party, Alistair looked at her, confused. "So… what is it exactly we have to do?"

Wynne laughed at him. "Young man, we have to strip naked and walk through the flames."

"What? We have to… together? I mean… see each other… like that? Oh, Maker, how can we do this?"

Aeden took his arm. "Well, we start by taking off all of our armor. Come on, it won't be so bad. You'll survive, my friend."

The four took off their clothes and stood in a straight line, each as naked as the day they were born. They were all embarrassed and tried to keep their eyes to themselves, and no one wanted to take the first step through the fire. Delia took a deep breath, knowing someone had to expose themselves to the flame if they were to save Eamon, and she took a confident step through the fire.

The Guardian immediately reappeared. "You have been through the trials of the Gauntlet; you have walked the path of Andraste, and, like Her, you have been cleansed. You have proven yourself worthy, pilgrim."

The other three followed her through the fire, then the fire cleared and they hurriedly redressed. Alistair's mind was a jumble of thoughts. "_Maker give me strength. I've seen her, __**naked**__! Somehow I have to put the vision of her behind me… she has a beautiful behind… NO! Stop that! I can't think this way. She is a lady of virtue, and I must control myself…"_

Delia was in a daze of her own. In front of her was a huge altar with steps leading to an enormous golden urn containing the ashes of the Prophet Andraste. Slowly she walked up the steps and kneeled in front of the urn. Carefully she removed the lid and after saying a prayer of thanks to Andraste, took a pinch of the ashes and placed them in a small leather bag. Then she closed the lid, said a prayer of thanks to the Maker, stood and walked back down the steps. She was visibly shaking as she walked up to Alistair, nearly collapsing in his arms as she cried on his shoulder.

Each one of the group was overcome with emotion. The experience had been difficult, but more rewarding than anything that had ever happened to them before. As they left the building, they each felt as though the Maker had not only blessed them, but found them to be worthy of all the difficult tasks they had yet to face. Somehow they each felt stronger, and more determined than ever to unite the land under Alistair's rule and defeat the darkspawn horde that, even as they returned to their camp, was growing stronger by the second.


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37: Ashes

The four returned to camp, exhausted and yet somehow revitalized from their experience. Most of the remaining companions greeted them happily and were relieved they were all unharmed. Leliana was nearly shaking in anticipation of hearing their story once they confirmed that they had, indeed, been successful at retrieving the sacred ashes. As they all sat around the camp fire, Wynne was the first to speak.

Wynne made a conscious decision to not mention the specific questions The Guardian asked each of them as well as which spirits appeared for each. She felt the information to be too personal in nature, and if her friends wished to describe their own experience it was their own decision to make. However, she described the battle against their spirit doubles, the riddles and the room with the bridge before finally recounting their experience in the final room.

"There was an altar, with words written in the ancient Tevinter language. Delia translated it for us, and it gave directions for us to remove our clothing and cleanse ourselves by walking through the fire."

Hearing Wynne tell this, Aeden, Alistair and Delia all blushed furiously and couldn't look at anyone. Zevran suddenly became quite interested in the story and pressed for more information.

"So, let me understand this properly. Each of you took off your armor and clothing and stood naked? Ah, to have been a fly on the wall! But, this is not entirely fair, as now our wardens have had the pleasure of seeing two of the most luscious women in all of Ferelden as naked as the day they were born, and I have been deprived of the same pleasure! I believe this needs to be remedied!" He leered at the two women, earning a well-deserved slap from Wynne.

"Behave yourself, young man. We didn't do this simply for entertainment."

Zevran turned to the wardens. "At least you two could tell me more about this. So, describe what our lovely ladies look like. I would like to hear _every detail_."

Alistair blushed even redder. "It's none of your business, Zevran. You will mind your manners. I'll not speak of this anymore."

Zevran laughed. "Ah, my dear Templar, I'm afraid I have offended your Chantry values, yes? Well, I shall be patient then. Perhaps another day when we have an opportunity to speak alone you will divulge their secrets to me. Or, even better," he looked at the two women lustily, "perhaps I shall be able to experience their beauty for myself."

Alistair stood and glared at the elf. "You stay away from them, do you hear me? Or you may meet the end of my blade."

Zevran laughed and put his hands out in a mock gesture of surrender. "Never fear, my handsome warrior. I shall remain a true gentleman. At least for the time being. Now, should you wish my services for yourself, I am, of course, your man."

He smiled at Alistair, earning a huff from the man. Delia reached up and put her hand on his arm, pulling him back down to sit next to her.

"Pay him no mind, Alistair. He's simply trying to tease you, and you're allowing him to get under your skin."

"I would much rather get under _your_ skin, mi querida," the elf purred.

"Not likely to happen," she responded as she crossed her arms for effect.

Aeden was not happy with the tension that was building among the party, so he decided to disarm the situation by asking Zevran to start cooking dinner. Luckily, the elf took the hint and complied without complaint, but as he walked past Alistair he leaned over and made a kissing noise in the Templar's ear. Delia grabbed Alistair's arm to prevent him from going after the assassin, and attempted to sooth his anger by holding his hand.

The conversation turned to Aeden's plan for returning to Redcliffe Castle. One thing Delia needed to investigate was how to dispense the ashes to Arl Eamon. Would it be best for him to ingest the ashes, have them sprinkled on him, or was there another method that would make the cure more potent? She took Brother Genitivi's research log out of her pack and read through it, but still found nothing to enlighten her.

She asked Leliana, Wynne and Morrigan to discuss her question with her. Leliana was the most familiar with Chantry beliefs and rituals, and Wynne and Morrigan had their herbalism and potion making skills to help with ideas. Their first idea they came up with was to brew a tea, but felt it might dilute the power of the ashes as well as getting a comatose man to drink it would be quite difficult. Sprinkling the ashes on the Arl was also discounted, as they could be blown off before they could renew him.

Leliana remembered a ritual performed when a woman decided to become an initiate. The sisters of the Chantry would create a ritual fire, using ash wood blessed by the Blessed Mother. Once the fire burned itself out and cooled, the remaining ashes were mixed into a small amount of lanolin and then infused with a single drop of lyrium. The four women agreed they should try to replicate the ritual, and so they found a tiny jar and created the concoction using half of the ashes in the pouch. That way if the ointment didn't work, they had more ashes to try another solution. Delia placed the remaining ashes and the jar in a special pocket of her armor, so that nothing would happen to the priceless objects.

The evening passed quietly and after determining the watch order most of the party went to sleep early. Aeden wanted to travel early in the morning. If they had any luck, they would arrive at Redcliffe Castle by midday. When morning arrived, Delia rose with the sun, as she normally did, and she started her routine. The one thing she did that was different than any other day was she began her training with a prayer asking the Maker and Andraste to assist her and her friends as they continued their quest to defeat the archdemon and the Blight.

She started to stretch, making sure to work the muscles of her legs and arms. It was cold this morning, and she didn't want to have muscle cramps while they rode the horses. Alistair watched her from a distance, unsure if he should join her or not.

He had dreams during the night that frightened him more than any darkspawn or archdemon dream ever had! In his dream, he found Delia naked, along the banks of a waterfall. He wanted to reach out and touch her. He wanted to feel the smoothness of her skin, and as he was nearly close enough to touch her he woke up and his reality left him feeling embarrassed. He had no right to picture her body, and the images left him feeling both excited and guilty.

As he turned around to return to the camp fire, Delia caught sight of him. She had a feeling that Alistair was avoiding her, and she thought she knew the reason was due to the events of the day before. With a sad sigh, she went back to her practice alone.

The rest of the camp woke soon after and immediately became a buzz of activity. Before long, a light breakfast was ready and, once everyone ate, the tents and packs were readied for travel and the horses were saddled. Aeden double checked to be certain they were all ready, and then they mounted the horses and were on the road. Aeden and Alistair led the way, with Delia riding near the cart with Ser Trent alongside her.

As Aeden had hoped, they arrived at the castle nearly at midday. The knights guarding the gate recognized the group as they approached and opened the gates fast enough that the horses didn't have to break their strides. They rode straight into the courtyard and dismounted, the horses then led away by some of the castle warriors as Bann Teagan walked out of the castle doors.

"You've returned! Have you been successful?" Teagan couldn't help but be hopeful.

Aeden nodded. "Yes, Teagan. We found the ashes, and Delia believes she has an ointment that will cure Eamon."

Teagan smiled broadly. "Let's go straight to Eamon's room then. " He opened the door of the castle and allowed Alistair, Aeden, Delia and Wynne to enter before he followed. Quickly they walked to the second floor of the castle, straight to the family quarters. Eamon lay on his bed, still comatose. Teagan spoke to several of the guards and they left the room, returning several minutes later with Jowan, Isolde and Connor. Isolde glared at Delia, who, for her part, ignored the woman.

Once Teagan gave her permission to start, Delia took the small jar out of her pocket. She said a prayer to the Maker and Andraste, asking for Eamon to be given a new life through the blessing of Andraste. Using her finger, Delia started to draw the symbol of Andraste on Eamon's forehead with the ashen ointment. Miraculously, as soon as she completed the symbol Eamon's eyes opened with a start.

"Where… where am I?" Eamon looked around and his eyes found Delia who was standing next to his bed. "You… Lady Delia, what are you doing here? You are not welcome in my home. I thought I made myself clear. Guards!"

Teagan stepped toward him and took his hand. "Be calm, Brother. You have been deathly ill for a very long time. Do you remember nothing?"

"Teagan? What are you doing here? Where is Isolde?" His eyes darted around the room.

"I am here, my husband." Isolde spoke from near the doorway.

"And Connor? Where is my boy? Where is our son?"

Isolde had a single tear fall down her cheek. "He lives, though many others are dead. There is much to tell you, husband."

Eamon looked confused. "Dead? Then… it was not a dream."

Teagan frowned. "Much has happened since you fell ill, Brother. Some of it will not be… easy for you to hear."

Eamon nodded. "Then tell me. I wish to hear all of it." His eyes glared at Delia. "First, remove this woman from my sight. Guards, take her to the dungeon."

Teagan put his hand out in front of her. "Guards, belay that order. Eamon, Delia is the reason why you still live. She, with her companions, sought out and discovered the Urn of Andraste's Sacred Ashes. The ashes were the only remedy to cure you from a poison that left you comatose. Please, Brother, you must hear everything before you make any decision regarding Delia, and I believe that once you know everything you will owe her more than an apology for everything you have said in the past year."

Eamon frowned. "I cannot believe you support her. After everything her father…"

Delia put her hand on Teagan's arm. "Teagan, I will go out to the courtyard and allow you to speak with Eamon and the wardens without my presence. We will talk later." She looked at her friends, and with a sad smile she walked out of the bedroom.

Teagan was careful to tell Eamon every detail of what had happened. How Isolde had not only sabotaged his hopes to marry Delia by placing the herbs in her father's drink, but how she had also allowed Jowan to poison him and kept Connor's magical abilities secret, causing the near desolation of all of Redcliffe. Eamon was more than shocked. His own wife, the woman he had fought the Landsmeet for the right to marry, had betrayed him, his brother, and all of the people who relied on his rule.

"What say you to this, Isolde? There must be some mistake." His eyes showed the sadness he otherwise tried to hide.

"It is all the truth, Husband. I am no longer willing to deny my feelings for Teagan."

"And you would have allowed me to die? I thought… well, my feelings are irrelevant, aren't they?" He looked at his brother. "Teagan, take Isolde and lock her in the west tower with adequate guard. I must… think… about how to handle this."

Teagan nodded and motioned to Ser Jordan to lead Isolde away. As she was exiting the door, Eamon cleared his throat.

"There is one thing I need to know before you leave, Isolde. Did you ever have feelings for me, or was our entire life a lie?"

She turned around and looked at him sadly. "I was… enamored of you, Eamon. You were exciting and dangerous. Once we were married and I met Teagan, I realized how… old… you are. There was no excitement, no passion. I should have listened to my own parents instead of my romanticized ideas of what life would be like with you. I am sorry, Eamon." She turned back around and walked away, leaving Eamon with Teagan, the wardens and Wynne. Two knights stood guard outside the door.

Eamon looked at his brother and sighed. "I am sorry, Teagan. You could have had the happiness that I thought I had, and I destroyed that for you. And then there is my friend, who I also destroyed. I should have known… I should have begged for his forgiveness so that he could have died in peace. He deserved that. And what is to come of my son? I suppose I will have to send him to the Circle. Now, I have nothing…"

Teagan sat on the bed next to his brother. "No, you have lost a great deal, Brother, but you still have me. And Connor isn't totally lost – I'm sure you can visit him from time to time. Right now we must put our mourning aside for the sake of the country. These wardens need your help."

Eamon carefully sat up on the bed and looked at the two wardens. "Alistair? Is that you?" Alistair nodded, then Eamon looked at Aeden. "I know you as well… you are Bryce's son, aren't you? Why in the Maker's name would he permit you to become a Grey Warden?"

Aeden explained the events at Highever that led to his being conscripted and Delia's recruitment into the wardens. Eamon's face grew more and more pale as he realized how Delia's losses had snowballed.

"I am truly sorry for everything you have gone through, and for what Delia has dealt with as well. Know that I will do everything in my power to assist you."

Teagan cleared his throat before he spoke. "We should speak of Logain, Brother. There is no telling what he will do when he learns of your recovery."

The brothers discussed Logain's actions of the recent past. Eamon was disturbed that Logain would seek the throne of Ferelden for himself, when he had never known the Teryn to be power hungry. Logain must be stopped before the entire country would be destroyed. The question before them was since Cailen was now dead, who should be the new king?

Eamon looked seriously at his brother. "We need someone with a stronger claim to the throne than Logain's daughter, the queen. I would not propose such a thing if we had an alternative. But the unthinkable has occurred."

Aeden's eyebrow rose in surprise. "You intend to put Alistair forward as king?"

Eamon nodded. "Teagan and I have a claim by marriage, but we would seem opportunists, no better than Logain. Alistair's claim is by blood."

Alistair was enraged. "And what about me? Does anyone care about what I want?"

The Arl looked fiercely at Alistair. "You have a responsibility, Alistair. Without you, Logain wins. I would have to support him, for the sake of Ferelden. Is that what you want?"

Alistair's eyes went wide with shock. "I… but I… no, my lord."

"I see only one way to proceed. I will call for a Landsmeet, a meeting of all of Ferelden's nobility in the city of Denerim. There, Ferelden can decide who shall rule, one way or another. Then the business of fighting our true foe can begin." Eamon rubbed the furrow on his brow. "I think we should have a dinner this evening to thank you for everything you and your party have done for Redcliffe. Teagan, would you please send a messenger into the town and request the presence of the mayor and the Blessed Mother as well as any others you can think should be included? Oh, and please arrange for proper clothing for our guests. I'm certain they are traveling lightly and do not have proper court clothing. You and I can loan the men clothes, and the women can borrow from Isolde's closet. Would you please make the arrangements, Brother?"

Teagan bowed. "Of course, Eamon. I will take care of everything."

Eamon nodded. "Thank you. I think I need to get some rest."

"Begging your pardon, Arl Eamon, but I can help you in your recovery. I also believe, Bann Teagan, that your brother needs nourishment. Would you please ask the kitchen staff to bring some broth and toasted bread?" Wynne moved toward the Arl, who seemed to recognize her.

"Wynne, isn't it? I'm surprised the First Enchanter has allowed you out of his sight." Eamon smiled at her.

"I'm surprised you remember me. I am flattered." She bowed slightly in his direction.

Eamon chuckled. "I have been friends with Irving for far too long to not remember his best healer. Thank you for helping me. I'm certain that a rejuvenation spell or two would help me quite a bit."

"Wardens, if you would follow me, I will show you where you might find appropriate clothes for tonight. Brother," he looked worriedly at Eamon, "I shall return in a short while. I leave you in the very capable hands of Enchanter Wynne." He held his arm out towards the chamber door, and the wardens bowed at the Arl and exited the room. Eamon was left to contemplate his shattered life, and everything he needed to do in order to salvage his family, his people and his country.


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 38: Preparations

During the time the wardens were speaking with Arl Eamon and Bann Teagan, Delia had walked out to the courtyard. She was seething with emotions, the strongest being anger. Eamon didn't seem to appreciate anything they had done for him, and although she was certain that Teagan would explain everything to his brother it didn't allow Delia to feel any better. She decided to put her time to use, and headed over to the practice dummies set out in the yard for the soldiers.

As she started to stretch, Zevran noted her arrival. He walked over to her, but seeing the grim look on her face he made a conscious decision to not ask about what had happened inside. Instead, he put on his biggest grin and opened his arms wide as he walked the last few strides to her.

"My darling Delia, it is quite fortuitous that you have arrived. I was just saying to myself, 'Zevran, whatever shall you do with all this time you have available?' and now, here you are! Perhaps we can take advantage of the fact that there are actual targets here and I could teach you how to use a bow and arrow. It is a part of your weapons training where you are sorely lacking."

Delia looked at him and grinned. "You know, Zev, you have a good idea there. I think it is exactly what I need to do right now."

Zevran's smile opened wide. "Wonderful! Mi amor, if you would be so kind as to follow me to the targets, yes?" The two walked across the courtyard to the archer's zone. Once there, Zevran took his bow off his back to show Delia how to string it properly.

"You see, encantadora, if you place the bottom of the bow against your foot, you may bend the bow enough to place the string in this nook here." He handed the bow to her, and although the tension was strong, Delia was able to just barely bend the bow far enough to set the string in its proper place.

"Good, good. I think you shall be a natural!" He smiled at her again, earning a coy smile in return. "Now, you must stand so… put your left leg in front and hold the bow in your left leg like this… yes, yes, very good…now place the arrow and pull back… no, no…. you must have a proper stance. Wait one second."

Zevran moved behind her and put his arms around her, shadowing the position of her arms. He gently moved her into a better position, showing her how to draw the arrow back straight and keeping her posture immovable. When he asked her to release the arrow gently, the arrow shot out and hit the target – nearly a bull's-eye!

Delia was happily surprised! "Oh, let me try again, but on my own this time."

"All right, my dear. Take your stance."

Delia took an arrow from Zevran's quiver and placed it on the string. She placed her feet the way he had just shown her and held the bow straight out with her left arm as the right drew the arrow back.

Zevran scowled. "Almost, mi querida, however allow me to assist you a bit." He moved back behind her, placing his hands on her hips. He put his lips right up to her ear and whispered instructions. As she drew the arrow back his hands moved to adjust the angle of her arms. When she had the proper position he whispered one word into her ear – "Now."

As she released the arrow, he kissed her ear gently, sending a shiver up her spine. The arrow flew wide as she spun around to face the elf.

"That was unfair, Zev. I… I think you may have the wrong idea about us."

"No, I think I have the _right_ idea. I take my pleasure where I can, and as dangerous as our quest is, I suggest you do the same. Now… perhaps we can take our pleasure _together_." He moved toward her, but she stepped back, away from him.

"No, Zevran. I care about you a great deal, but as a friend, nothing more. You must respect my wishes in this regard, or I will not permit you to be alone with me. Right now, I think I will find Ser Trent. Thank you for the archery lesson. It is not one I will soon forget."

She handed him the bow and walked toward the stable. It seemed like as likely a place as any to find her father, as he seemed to have a genuine affinity toward the horses. As she neared the building, she heard her name being called from in back of her. Turning around she saw Alistair and Aeden jogging toward her. She tried to smile, but it looked more like a grimace.

"Bad day, huh?" Alistair joked. He smiled his lopsided smile at her and said, "I know exactly how you feel. Eamon intends to put me forward as king."

"And I thought this day couldn't get any worse," she sighed.

"No, it can be even worse than that. We have to dress up for dinner, and Eamon is lending us proper clothes. You have to help convince Leliana and Morrigan to select dresses from Isolde's closet to wear." Alistair tried to earn a grin, but Delia wasn't amused in the least.

"You expect me to wear something of_ hers_? Are you mad? After all she has done to me? You do not have the strength to force me into one of her _rags_. You can tell Eamon I have taken ill and I will spend the night in the stables." Delia stubbornly crossed her arms in defiance.

Aeden ran his hand through his hair. "Don't you know a merchant in town who sells dresses? Perhaps she would have something suitable for you to buy? You could take Leli and Morrigan with you and buy something for each of you. I think we can spare a few sovereigns, don't you, Alistair? I mean… anything to have our lovely ladies happy…"

Delia looked thoughtful. She remembered the dress she had tried on and hoped it would still be available. "If you are certain it is alright…"

Aeden chuckled. "After being raised by my mother, I know how insulting it would be for you to have to wear a hand-me-down, especially being something of _Isolde's_ . Come on, then, let's get back to the castle so you can get the others and have time to make your purchases and ready yourselves for dinner."

They quickly walked back to the castle and found that rooms had been set aside for them in the guest wing. They found the rest of their party waiting for them in the grand hall. After Delia spoke with Leliana and Morrigan the women decided to clean up in their rooms before going into town. One of the servants showed the group to their rooms and other servants provided wash bins and cloths so the women could at least wash the dust off themselves. Baths would wait until they returned from town.

Delia was given the same room she had stayed in the previous summer which only served to make her feel all the more miserable. Trying to gather her courage, she used the cloth to wash the dust from her face, neck and chest. She rinsed the cloth and then used it to get as much dust off her armor as she could. As she opened the door to step out into the hallway to find the other women, Zevran blocked her path. He held something in back of him.

"Ah, my dear Delia. Before you leave, I have been told we are to attend dinner this evening. I have something here that might make the experience more appealing to you." He handed her the package.

Delia was confused. The only member of her group to ever give her a present had been Alistair. She still had the beautiful rose, preserved with a drop of lyrium.

"I… I don't know what to say." She looked at the brown paper as if she had no idea what to do with it.

"Open it, mi querida. I want to see the smile appear on your face."

Delia carefully unwrapped the gift to find the beautiful green silk dress she had seen at Chloe's store. Her heart skipped a beat as she ran her hand over the golden embroidery and remembered how soft it felt against her skin.

"Oh, Zevran… you know how much I love this dress. But… I can't accept it."

He looked at her in annoyance. "Why not? This dress is perfect for you, is it not? I remember when you tried it on and you looked like the most beautiful woman in all of Thedas. I could not leave it behind, so I bought it for you. I thought that given you need a dress to look magnificent in this evening it was the perfect time to give it to you."

"Thank you so much, Zev, but you know I can't accept it. I understand Antivan customs too well to know that there are… strings attached to this dress. I can't accept the dress because I can't accept the attachment it would signify. I don't want to hurt you, my friend, but my heart belongs to another."

Unbeknown to the two of them, Alistair had walked down the hallway and was standing outside the door. As he heard them talking, he stood where they couldn't see him and listened to their conversation. Hearing Delia tell the elf that her heart belonged to someone other than Zev made his heart skip a beat. Did she care _that much_ for him? Could it be true?

Zevran looked intently into Delia's eyes. "My dear, I know where your heart lies. I am not such a fool to not notice such things. However, this dress was _made_ to be worn by you, and I assure you that my intentions were simply to give something wonderful to you because you give your wonderful self to all of us. You deserve some happiness, even if it is from something as materialistic as a dress. Think of this gift as my way of attempting to be a Fereldan. It is… practical. Pretty, but practical."

"Are you certain, Zev?" Her hand smoothed the silk.

"I am simply supplying a tool for you. You need to be a sex goddess tonight – this dress gives you the proper attire, nothing more."

She looked at him, questioningly. "And that is your only motive? You want nothing in return?"

"Ah, you know that I wish more from you, but alas I know that is not to be. You have made yourself clear in that regard. Perhaps, however, you would allow me to be your escort for the evening."

"No, I can't have you escort me. In Antiva, no one would think twice about my being escorted by an elf, but here in Ferelden they are not as… open to such relationships. I shall have Ser Trent escort me tonight, for political reasons. I don't wish to hurt Teagan in any way, and I don't want Eamon to have any reason to cause Alistair any trouble." She looked at the beautiful dress in her arms and then raised her eyes back to meet Zevran's. "You are truly a good friend, Zev, and I thank you for this dress. I am not used to such generosity being shown to me." She kissed him on the cheek.

"It is my pleasure. Now, if you will excuse me, I must rummage through the Arl's closet. Ah, to have a silk shirt to wear tonight so that I can imagine the feel of your dress against my skin!" He smiled luridly at her and left the room, greeting Alistair on his way out.

As Delia carefully lay the dress on the bed and smoothed the wrinkles, Alistair knocked on the door.

"Um, Delia… Leliana and Morrigan are waiting for you at the castle doors."

She turned to him and smiled warmly. "Thank you, Alistair. I suppose I had best hurry then."

He nodded and grinned. "Oh, would you mind if I joined you? As it turns out, nothing of Eamon's or Teagan's can be stretched onto my torso, so I'd like to see if your friend has a nice tunic that might fit me. Aeden is all set, and there's absolutely no way we can get something to fit Sten, so he'll wear his armor." He looked at her bashfully. "I was wondering if you might… help me find something. I really have never worn nice clothes for anything before."

She smiled warmly at him and took his arm to walk alongside him. "I would love to pick something out for you. Let's hurry though – we wouldn't want Morrigan turning you into a toad or something!" She laughed, but Alistair shivered, the fear of the wrath of the mage getting the better of him.

They found Leliana and Morrigan at the door and the four hurried into the town. When they arrived at the store, Chloe made a fuss over Delia while Leliana helped Morrigan look through the dresses. The two women found several dresses to try on and went into the back room together, shutting the door behind them. Delia turned her attention to the tunics and doublets. She found a simple tunic made of fine linen that seemed to be of a good size for Alistair, so she held it up to his chest. Seeing it would fit him properly, she set it on the counter and concentrated on the doublets. Nothing seemed to be right. Either the colors were too bright and would make Alistair feel uncomfortable or they were so small that he wouldn't be able to fit his arm through the sleeve.

Finally she found a black velvet doublet with a touch of golden embroidery that was simple, yet elegant. She held it up to him and asked him to try it on. He put it on over his warrior's tunic, and it fit him nearly perfectly. The embroidery was not ostentatious in the least, but it defined his broad shoulders and lean build subtly. He looked so handsome and noble, but not as if he was trying to be the center of attention.

"How do you like that one, Alistair?" She couldn't help but look at him expectantly. She hoped he would like the doublet, not only because there weren't really any other choices, but because he really looked nice in it.

"Actually, it's more comfortable than I expected. I rather like it."

"Good, then I guess you are all set." He removed the doublet and set it on the counter next to the tunic.

"Delia, come here, my dear, and look at these marvelous shoes. They just arrived from Antiva." Chloe nearly glowed as she led her friend to a set of shelves. The daintiest slippers sat on the shelves, in colors that would blend with many different color dresses. Delia found a pair of black slippers with simple green embroidery that fit her feet and were quite inexpensive. When Leliana and Morrigan finally returned from the back room they also looked at the shoes and chose a pair each.

Alistair walked to the counter to pay for the clothing. Vernon took over the cashier duties so that his wife had a chance to speak to Delia. Chloe whisked her outside with glee, hardly able to contain the questions she had for her friend.

"So, who is the young man? Is he someone special to you?"

Delia blushed. "That is Alistair, of the Grey Wardens. And yes, he is special to me."

"Ooh I knew it! You couldn't hide the look in your eyes if you wanted to. He's quite handsome, Delia." Chloe smiled knowingly at her. "Far more handsome than that Nehairel, in my humble opionion. I'm very happy for you, my friend. I hope you two can carve out a life together."

Delia gazed into the distance wistfully. "I wish it would be that simple. We must defeat the Blight first, but there is so much to do to insure the future of our country… I only hope to have a chance with him. The Maker only knows what his plans are." She looked at her friend with a teasing smile. "However, it certainly wouldn't hurt if you would pray to him on my behalf!"

The two women giggled, and as Alistair, Leliana and Morrigan walked out of the store Chloe gave her friend a warm hug.

"Be safe, Delia. I can't wait until we can see each other again."

"Maker watch over you and Vernon, my friend."

With that, the four walked back to the castle to prepare for the evening's festivities. Each of them had their own apprehension about the dinner. Alistair was concerned that Eamon would announce his being put forward as King of Ferelden. Leliana and Morrigan both fretted about their dresses being perfect and fitting in with the nobles. Delia had the most to fret about. She worried about Eamon's demeanor toward her as well as how the complicated relationships she had with Teagan, Alistair, Aeden and Zevran would weave their ways through the conversation and atmosphere of the dinner. Hopefully the Maker would take pity on her and allow her to remain in the shadow of the event with no one paying her attention. She could only pray…


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter 39: Determination

They arrived back at the castle to find a bustle of activity. Servants were busily cleaning and setting up tables and chairs and the smells coming from the kitchens were delicious. They found Teagan in the Great Hall overseeing the work. Noticing them as they entered the room, he called over one of the maids and asked to have baths arranged in their rooms. They thanked the Bann and each went to their own quarters with their new clothing in hand.

After finding Ser Trent and arranging for his escort to the dinner, Delia walked to her room and placed her shoes next to her dress on the bed. The green embroidery on the shoes was a near match to the color of the dress, and she felt giddy at the thought of actually dressing as a woman for the first time in months! A knock on the door announced servants with the water for her bath. As they filled the tub with hot water, Delia found her rose scented soaps in her pack and arranged them on a small table next to the tub.

Once the tub was ready and the servants had left, Delia quickly undressed and sank into the depths of the hot water. She hadn't been able to have a proper bath for what seemed like an eternity, and she intended to enjoy this one. Who would ever have thought that a simple bath would seem like such a luxury! She knew she would never take such a simple pleasure for granted again.

She washed her hair carefully and scrubbed her skin until it was nearly raw. When the water began to chill she left the tub, dried off and put on a dressing gown. Someone had left a brush set on the vanity, and when she looked at the handles she noticed an ornate letter 'R' – they must have belonged to Rowena, the sister of Eamon and Teagan and the wife of King Maric. As glad as she was to have the fine implements to groom with, she couldn't help feeling sad. She knew how much the death of their sister had pained the brothers, and it was quite an honor to be granted their use.

After she brushed out her hair she carefully dressed. It felt so good to be wearing a real dress! She looked at herself in the mirror as she sat back down at the vanity. What would she do with her hair? She sat and manipulated her hair one way and then another, it was just that nothing seemed _right_. A knock on the door pulled her away from the mirror.

"Enter."

Leliana burst through the door, wearing a dress of royal blue wool. "Oh, Delia I need your help. My hair… I can't do a thing with it."

She giggled at the distraught bard. "I'm having the same problem. Perhaps if I work on your hair and you on mine it won't seem as impossible. Come and sit here. I'll work on your hair first."

Leliana sat, and after looking at her friend for a moment Delia started to tie some rags into her hair. "You need some soft curls. I think if you wear your hair down with curls falling into ringlets you will look stunning in your dress."

Once the rags were tied, the two switched places. Leliana's hair needed time to dry with the rags in place to create the curls. The bard also spent a few moments looking at her friend, and suddenly smiled broadly.

"I know exactly what you need. Your hair is so thick and wavy, but you need to pull some of it back. What if we created braids from both sides of your face and pulled them to the back and then attach them together. You will look like you have a crown on your head the way your hair shines! Ooh, it will be perfect, especially because of the vines embroidered on your dress."

She went to work, first smoothing Delia's hair and then dividing sections for the braids. As she started braiding, she hummed softly, making Delia smile. It felt so good to be acting like normal women, and she enjoyed feeling her friend's hands as they deftly worked the braids. Once Leliana finished, she tied the end of the braid with a black ribbon. Delia remembered she had a golden hair clip in her pack – she had forgotten to take it out the night she was in Highever and was the only possession she still had from her former life. She quickly retrieved it, and Leliana carefully placed it onto the end of the braid.

"That is perfect, Delia! Oh, you look so beautiful!" She looked over her friend's shoulder into the mirror and squeezed her shoulders. "You shall have all the men simply drooling over you!"

"That's what I am afraid of." Delia sighed. "I really don't want to create any problems tonight. Hopefully the Maker will see fit to allow me to blend into the shadows and we will survive the night and safely leave in the morning!"

"Oh, you do not mean that. There are some _very_ handsome men who will be in attendance. Allow yourself to have fun." She sat at the vanity to allow Delia to finish her hair.

Once the rags were removed, Delia gently brushed Leliana's hair. The soft curls accentuated her features beautifully. Leliana stood and moved next to Delia, both looking into the mirror.

"We are quite a pair, yes? If only there were a way to capture this moment so we could remember how we look right now forever!" Her exuberance forced Delia to relax.

They were ready just in time before there was a soft knock on the door. After Delia bade them to enter, the door opened and Ser Trent walked into the room. His eyes fell on Delia immediately, and he smiled warmly at her, his eyes getting a sad, faraway look.

"You are truly beautiful, my lady." He passed his eyes to Leliana and bowed to her. "Leliana, you are stunning! I am certainly the luckiest man attending the dinner tonight if I am permitted to have both of you lovely ladies on my arms."

Delia smiled at her father. "Ah, but aren't you as sly as a fox, complimenting us so heartily. What do you think, Leli? Should we make him the envy of all the gentlemen in attendance?"

"But of course, I would love to be on the arm of such a _handsome_ man." Leliana took his left arm as Delia took his right. All three smiled happily as they made their way to the Dining Room.

As they entered the room, a servant announced their arrivals. People were standing around conversing, so they made their way toward Sten and Wynne, mainly because Sten was easy to spot due to his overwhelming height. Delia didn't notice Teagan as they walked in. He watched her enter and his jaw dropped. He knew that she wouldn't commit to him, but every time he saw her she just was so much more appealing. Forcing himself to look away, he tried to concentrate on his brother's other guests.

When Eamon arrived, he invited everyone to take a seat. Delia was seated across from Aeden with Alistair on her right and Trent on her left. The rest of their party was seated on the end of the table to Alistair's right. Eamon and Teagan sat at the head table along with the Mayor of Redcliffe, the Blessed Mother, and several high ranking town officials. The knights of the castle shared another table, and other tables were filled with other town officials and their families as well as the highest ranked members of Eamon's soldiers.

Eamon stood and proposed a toast to the wardens and their friends, after which the servants brought out platters of mutton, fish and vegetables. Everything was delicious, and the mood of the room was pleasant as conversations flowed easily. Eamon couldn't help but look ill at ease. He was still trying to regain his strength, and even though Wynne had cast rejuvenation spells to assist him, the traumas he learned about upon his awakening preyed on his mind as much as the illness had targeted his body. Isolde was not in attendance, with the excuse that she was ill and had taken to bed.

Delia was trying to relax and enjoy herself. Aeden and Alistair were relentlessly teasing each other which made her laugh, and she did enjoy talking with Trent, but she couldn't help but feel uneasy. Eamon kept looking in her direction, and she couldn't help but believe he was displeased with her presence. Things seemed to go from bad to worse when, at the end of the main course, Eamon stood up again to speak.

"My friends, I cannot put into words how happy I am to be in your company again. I only wish I had been well and could have been in a position to assist in the defense of our wonderful village. We were all very fortunate that several people arrived when they did. First of all, my thanks go to my dear brother, Bann Teagan Guerrin of Rainesfere, who has very capably managed Redcliffe in my stead during my illness." Applause came from the diners, and Teagan rose and bowed, quickly retaking his seat.

"It was also a fortunate coincidence to have the Grey Wardens arrive in time to assist in destroying the undead menace. My deepest thanks go to wardens Alistair and Aeden. At this time, I would bestow on them and all of their companions the title 'Champion of Redcliffe'. Each of you shall always be welcome here." Another round of applause sounded as the two wardens stood and bowed to the Arl in appreciation.

"There is one other who must be mentioned here. Lady Delia Loren, the granddaughter of my dearest friend, was instrumental in my recovery. Without her, the wardens would never have located the Urn of Sacred Ashes which saved my life. My dear Delia," he looked sadly into her face, "my deepest condolences on the death of your grandfather. Your courageous actions are more than appreciated, and know that you always have a home here in Redcliffe Castle. I thank you, dear girl."

Delia stood and tried to control her shaking. She curtsied to the Arl, and sat back down. Alistair beamed at her as he reached for her hand under the table in support. His hand felt warm and comforting, and Delia gratefully squeezed it.

Eamon spoke to one of his servants, and the man left the room, returning several minutes later leading a small group of musicians. After they tuned their instruments, the band started to play a country dance. Ser Trent offered his hand to his daughter, who happily accepted his invitation to dance. They joined several other couples in the center of the room. The jaunty jig raised Delia's spirits, and she couldn't believe how much she enjoyed dancing with her true father. He was such a completely different personality than the man she had been told was her father, and she could understand why her mother had been so in love with this warm, fun-loving man.

When the dance was over, she found herself being swept into a dance with Aeden. They had danced many times together at Aeden's mother's parties so they moved as one. Several other couples in the room stopped to watch as they perfectly formed the steps. As the dance completed, Delia asked Aeden to get a drink for her. She took a seat back at the table, Alistair grinning in delight. He enjoyed watching her dance, if for no other reason than her face radiated happiness.

This time, when the dance finished she hurriedly led Aeden back to their seats and asked him to bring her a drink. She sat down as Aeden walked over to get some punch, and she watched as Leliana and Zevran took a place on the dance floor. Delia watched the two as they danced and was enchanted. Her two friends had both had difficult lives, and yet they seemed to be so free as they performed the intricate movements. It was almost as if they had danced together for years! When Aeden returned with the punch Delia almost didn't even notice; she was mesmerized by the beauty of her friends.

Once their dance completed the two rogues returned to their group. Delia sipped her punch after thanking Aeden and the group fell into a lighthearted conversation. As the music played, Delia felt a presence behind her. A tap on her shoulder confirmed that someone had, indeed, walked up to her. It was Teagan, and he graciously asked Delia for the next dance. She agreed, trying to hide her reluctance, and after flashing a sorrowful grin at Alistair she took Teagan's hand and allowed him to lead her to the center of the room.

Teagan was a wonderful dancer, and Delia matched his movements gracefully. He tried to encourage her to look into his face, but even though she would glance at him her eyes stayed on the floor. Teagan had so many things he wanted to say, but knowing the dance floor was not the best place for a private conversation he leaned close to her ear and asked if she would walk with him for a few minutes for some fresh air. She agreed, but was wary.

As the last notes drew to a close, Teagan offered his arm to Delia. She placed her hand on his arm and he led her out into the small garden. The air was crisp and the stars were bright in the sky, but after the relative heat of the dance the coolness was welcome. He led her to a bench and offered her a seat. As they sat together, Teagan started to drum his fingers nervously on his knee.

"Delia, now that all has been resolved with my brother, would you please reconsider marrying me?" As she started to protest, he held his finger to her lips to silence her. "Before you reply, hear me out. If it were not for Isolde we would be married already. I still believe that you are the best match in all of Ferelden for me. You are intelligent, beautiful, and, as you just proved on the dance floor, immensely graceful." He smiled sweetly at her and took her hand in his.

Alistair had noticed the two as they left the room and followed them outside. Watching them from afar, his heart began to beat wildly. He couldn't hear the words that were being said, but Teagan's expression and his gestures seemed obvious. Delia didn't look happy, and Alistair decided to intervene.

"Ah… Delia, there you are. I believe you still have several admirers who you promised dances to. Zev was just saying…"

Teagan looked at him angrily. "Can't it wait for a moment? It is of great importance that we speak."

Delia looked at Teagan sadly. "No, Teagan. You already know the answer to your question. Nothing has changed… not for me."

Teagan's eyes glared at her. "Is that so? I have seen how you look at _him_," he moved his head in Alistair's direction. "And just how long has it been that you have been with him? How much of a fool do you think I am?"

Delia slapped him across his face. "You act as if you own me. You and I were never engaged, so you have absolutely no right to behave as an injured party. Yes, Alistair and I have become very close, but that sort of thing happens when you fight side by side every day. If you hadn't noticed, I am also very close to Aeden, Trent, Zevran and even Sten. Whatever feelings I have for Alistair, or for anyone else for that matter, are my own and are none of your concern."

She quickly stood and hurried through the doors into the castle. The two men were left in the garden, Teagan glaring at Alistair, and the warden looking surprised.

"You… you need to stay as far away from her as possible. I will not allow you to steal her from me." Teagan's words slithered through clenched teeth.

Alistair's own expression shifted to one of resolve. "I understand your feelings for Delia. She is an amazing woman. However, you must allow her to make her own decisions. She is not a piece of property to be stolen from anyone. What she _is_ is a strong, capable woman who is extremely intelligent and has set her mind on what _she_ wants. She intends to fight the Blight, and no matter what you or anyone says, that is the path she will take."

"You are a fool, Alistair. Delia is a woman… a _noble born woman._ She is no warrior, nor a warden. Her choice to fight the Blight is one made from desperation. With me she has a chance at the life she was destined to live. With me she has a chance at the life she was destined to live. With you… what can she have? A life on the road? Blood and gore and agony? Can you even provide her with a home?"

Teagan stood and walked directly in front of Alistair. "You do not deserve her. Stay away, Alistair, I warn you."

Alistair's eyes narrowed in anger. "Who are you to say if I _deserve_ Delia? Does anyone _deserve_ her? If I am lucky enough to earn her love then I am truly a lucky man indeed. Unlike you, however, I will not make any assumptions as to her feelings for me or anyone else. Now, if you will excuse me, I believe our conversation is over."

He turned and began walking to the door when Teagan spoke again. "I will never give up on her. She will be my wife."

Alistair faced him once more. "That, my friend, is for the Maker to decide. And, by the way, I'm not giving up on her either." With that he left Teagan in the garden, the Bann shaking in anger as he watched the warden's exit.


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter 40: Beginnings and Ends

Alistair walked back into the Dining Room. He looked all over the room for Delia, but didn't see her anywhere. Ser Trent was sitting at the table they had shared for their meal speaking to Wynne, so Alistair decided to talk to him.

As he neared the two, he cleared his throat nervously. "Ser Trent, I am looking for Delia. Did she come back here after her walk with Bann Teagan?"

Trent frowned slightly. "No, Alistair, I haven't seen her return. Is everything alright?"

"I'm afraid Teagan may have upset her. I need to find her. If you'll excuse me…" He started to turn, but Wynne put her hand on his arm.

"Alistair, perhaps Zevran would have an idea of where she is. He… followed Delia when Teagan took her out of the room."

Alistair thanked Wynne and started to look for the elf. He spotted him near the entrance to the room, and as Zevran saw the warden looking at him, he motioned for Alistair to follow. Zevran led Alistair into Eamon's study and shut the door behind them.

"Alistair, before you say anything, I must tell you that I followed the esteemed Bann and our lady Delia as they walked in the garden. It would seem the Bann is quite jealous of you, and for good reason I believe." Zevran smiled knowingly at Alistair, making the warden blush. "I also witnessed your… encounter with the man. His actions have also infuriated me, by the way. I will not permit him to hurt our lovely friend any more than you would."

Alistair's shoulders drooped. "I know, Zev. You care for her as much as I do."

"Yes, I am aware that you overheard my conversation with her earlier." As Alistair was about to protest, the elf put out his hand to stop him. "No, no, there is nothing to feel badly about. You did not intend to listen to our conversation, whereas I had every intent to listen to the Bann. You and I are of a like mind, that Delia has the right to decide who she desires. If the whims of our resident sex goddess do not include me, it simply proves that fate is a fickle whore!"

Zevran laughed at himself, and seeing Alistair looking grim he quickly calmed. "Delia has returned to her quarters, and I believe she needs your company. Go to her and calm her, but also keep watch over her as I believe our friend Bann Teagan may feel compelled to take some form of action to retain her here in Redcliffe. I shall speak to Aeden about leaving at first light. I believe the faster we leave the castle, the safer our lovely lady will be."

Alistair took the elf's arm in a warrior's handshake. "Thank you, my friend. Tonight you have proved to me that I can trust you. We both are working toward the same goal." He released the elf's arm and turned to the door. Just as he put his hand on the knob, he turned back to Zevran. "Keep your eyes open. We all need to be vigilant."

Alistair opened the door and hurried to Delia's room. As he neared her door, he could hear her crying. He was unsure of what to do. Women were such a mystery to him, and Maker only knew what to do with one that was crying! After taking a deep breath, he smoothed his doublet and gently knocked on the door.

"Delia? It's me… Alistair. Can I… may I come in?"

He heard the crying stop, and then the door opened slightly. "What do you need, Alistair?"

He poked his face into the opening. "I was worried about you. I needed to be sure you were fine. Please allow me to come in."

She opened the door and motioned for him to enter. "I must look frightful, but I am fine." She shut the door after he crossed the threshold.

Alistair turned to face her and put his hands on her shoulders. "You? Frightful? Not in _this_ dress. Beautiful, beguiling, amazing… but never frightful." He smiled warmly.

Delia blushed and turned away. She walked to the chairs next to the fireplace and sat in front of the fire. Alistair followed and sat in the other chair.

"Why does it have to be so complicated?" She looked sadly at Alistair. "I never wanted to hurt him. Teagan is a good man. He deserves to be happy."

Alistair took her hand into his. "You deserve to be happy too. Do you think that marrying Teagan would make you happy?"

She looked at the floor. "Last year I would have said yes without a moment of hesitation, but now…"

"Is it because of the events with Eamon? Or is it… something else?" His eyes searched for an answer, and when she wouldn't look into his eyes he kneeled in front of her and lifted her chin, forcing her to regard him.

As she looked into his eyes, the warmth of his gaze captivated her. "I… I don't know what to say."

"Then don't say anything." He leaned forward and kissed her softly. As his lips left hers, her eyes opened slowly and looked at him with a softness he had never seen before.

"Delia, I have… never felt anything like this before. You have become the shining light in my life. Being a warden may have given me a purpose in life, but having you here… with me… has given me a reason to _be alive_. Maybe I'm wrong, but I believe this feeling is… love. Is there any possible way that you might… love me too?"

Delia's smile gave him his answer. She placed her arms around his neck, pulling his face closer to hers. "Alistair, I was beginning to believe I would never hear words like those from you. Yes, Alistair, I believe that I… love you too."

He broke into a smile that seemed to light up the room. "Good to know. Now, if we can just get past this awkward, embarrassing stage…"

Delia put her finger on his lips. "Didn't we have this conversation once before? I believe it ended with you blushing some distance away from me… I don't want you any farther away from me than you are right now."

He chuckled and pulled her to standing, his arms tightly encircling her waist. "Then I suppose another kiss might be in order?"

As their lips touched, another knock on the door made them separate. "Who is it?" Delia called.

"Actually there are several of us. May we come in?" It was Aeden.

"Of course. Please enter," replied Delia.

The door opened and in came Aeden along with Trent, Wynne and Zevran. The elf eyed the two luridly and then spoke. "Ah, I am disappointed with you, Alistair. I would have expected you to already be in bed with the delicious Delia."

Both Alistair and Delia blushed while Trent clenched and unclenched his fist as he glared at Zevran. Aeden cleared his throat as he shut the door.

"Um, I am sorry to interrupt your… conversation, but Zevran filled us in on your talk with Teagan. I am so very sorry to have not been able to prevent that… experience. We will not allow him to speak to you in that fashion again. In the meantime, Zev and I agree that we should leave at first light. I've already explained to Eamon that we must continue our quest for the support of the Dalish and the Dwarves. I apologized for our sudden need to depart, but said I worry about the coming snows." He flashed a smile at his fellow warden.

"Yes, Zev and I talked about leaving here quickly." He smiled gratefully at Aeden as well as Zevran.

"I have everyone packing as we speak. Hopefully it won't take very long for anyone. As far as surviving the night is concerned, Wynne assures me that she is already packed. Delia, I want her to stay with you tonight, along with Dusty. That will ensure your safety overnight. I have already asked the castle staff to pack food that we might take with us to eat as we ride." He looked at his friends. "Now, I suggest we pack quickly and get as much sleep as we can. Tomorrow will be stressful."

Trent took his daughter's hand in his. "Are you alright, Delia? I've been… worried."

She smiled at him warmly. "I was quite upset, but Alistair calmed me. I feel much better, but will be even better once we leave this castle. Thank you, Father." She kissed him on the cheek.

"Alright, I think we men should give the women some space. I'll take Dusty for a quick walk outside and then send him to you." Aeden started to lead the men out of the room, but Alistair paused.

He walked over to Delia gently brushed a stray hair from her face. Gently he leaned down and kissed her one last time. "Be safe tonight. Know that you own my heart, my love."

Delia put her hand on his cheek. "And you own mine. Sleep well."

He nodded and left the room with a smile on his face. The men went to their rooms to pack and sleep.

Wynne helped Delia change from her dress into her sleeping tunic and then to pack the few belongings that were out in the room. She noticed the extravagant brush set and asked about it.

"They belonged to Eamon and Teagan's sister, Rowena, who was married to King Maric," Delia replied.

Wynne nodded knowingly. "I met her, once, a long time ago. She was such a lovely woman. It was very sad when she became ill. Maric was never the same man after she died."

"Yes, Teagan spoke a great deal about his sister last summer. I would have loved to have met her. She was quite formidable, from what I understand."

The two quickly completed the packing. Soon there was a bark at the door, so Delia allowed Dusty into the room. The mabari settled himself in front of the door, and the two women shared the bed. Sleep eluded Delia for quite some time, however. The events of the evening kept replaying in her mind, but once she was able to put Teagan out of her mind, the soothing image of Alistair helped relax her into slumber.

When the first rays of the sun crept through the window, Delia woke Wynne and the two brought Delia's pack along as they walked to Wynne's room to collect her pack. Dusty accompanied him, glaring at any guards that dared even to look at the women. When they arrived at the stable the horses and cart were already prepared thanks to Trent.

They were just about ready to ride out of the castle when Teagan hurriedly approached. Suddenly Delia had Alistair on one side of her and her father on the other, both men with their hands ready to grab their swords. Delia tried to relax them both as Teagan walked up to her.

"So, now your plan is to leave without even saying goodbye? I suppose I deserve it…" He looked at her, his eyes revealing the pain he felt.

"No, this has nothing to do with you, Teagan. We must attend to the Grey Warden treaties before the snows make it impossible to travel." She tried to be reassuring, but her voice quivered.

"You are too kind, my dear. For what it is worth, I am sorry for my behavior last night. I hope you will accept my apology." He reached for her hand, and although both Alistair and Trent gave her warning looks, she allowed Teagan to kiss her hand. However, when he tried to turn her hand over for a more intimate kiss to her palm, she pulled her arm away.

"It is time to say farewell, Teagan. We will see each other again before the Landsmeet, I'm certain. In the meantime, I wish you well. May the Maker watch over you and help you to find the path that He intends for you."

Teagan stepped back as she mounted her horse, followed by the others. "May the Maker watch over us all. Come back to Redcliffe safely, my dear."

He watched them sadly as the group rode away from the Castle. His heart left him as he watched Delia until she was too far away to see any longer. In his mind, he had ruined any chance he had for happiness. He turned back to the doors of the castle, knowing that his duty called him back to Rainesfere. The decisions his brother needed to make regarding Isolde and her treachery would be difficult, and although Teagan knew Eamon would appreciate his presence he also knew, in his heart, that he needed his own time to grieve what he had lost.


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter 41: Stone

Aeden decided to lead his party south, to the village of Honnleath. A merchant had given him a control rod for a golem, and he felt it would be a very useful device to use against the darkspawn. As they neared the village, residents were running away. The pounding in his head told him there were darkspawn near, and since the people were running away from the town, he deduced the monsters were overrunning the village itself.

He had the party dismount outside of the town and left the horses in the care of Trent, Leliana and Morrigan. Alistair, Aeden, Zevran and Sten ran into the village and immediately began to kill the darkspawn that were surging through the streets. Delia stayed at Wynne's side. Any creature that made its way past the men were quickly dispatched by her blade before it could reach the healer.

Once the darkspawn were eradicated, the group walked into the town's main square. In the center of the square stood the golem, looking as though it reached toward the sky in an attempt to shatter the heavens themselves. Aeden tried using the control rod, using the words the merchant told him would activate the golem, but it remained inanimate. He motioned for Alistair, Zevran and Wynne to follow him as he went inside one of the buildings to look for more information.

Delia and Sten were left outside to keep watch. Looking at the golem, Delia was bothered by the large number of pigeons that seemed to flock on the stone. It seemed that the town's residents encouraged the birds to sit on the statue by keeping a large amount of birdseed at the golem's base. Of course, birds sitting on a statue have to relieve themselves, and the golem was a mess. She looked around and found a well nearby with a bucket. A scrub brush and soap were found in an abandoned house. She filled the bucket and took the water to the golem and then began to clean the stone.

Sten watched her, disbelieving. "What are you doing, kadan?"

Delia was amazed at the transformation the Qunari man displayed since Aeden had recovered his sword. When Sten had first joined their group, he would speak only when spoken to, and would answer in as few words as he possibly could. Now, the giant man seemed to search out their companionship.

"I thought I would clean the golem. The birds have left their… dirt all over the shoulders and head. It just looks awful." She scrubbed diligently, but couldn't reach the top of the head or the outstretched arms. "Um… would you consider helping me? I'm simply not tall enough to reach up there, and I don't see anything I could bring over to stand on."

He shrugged his shoulders. "As you wish." He took the brush from her and scrubbed the excrement off the stone, then rinsed it off.

The golem's gems sparkled after the cleaning. Delia stepped back and smiled as she admired the glittering crystals. It made Delia feel better now that the golem was clean.

"No statue should be used as a pigeon collector. I'll return the bucket and brush while I remove this birdseed." She picked up the items and returned them to their proper places and then dumped the seed behind the houses.

As she walked back to the golem, the rest of their party emerged from a different house from where they had entered. Delia gave them a confused shrug of her shoulders and walked toward them. Aeden conveyed the experiences they had in Wilhelm's cellar. The darkspawn had infiltrated the cellar, trying to attack a group of villagers who were protected by a magic shield created by a mage named Wilhelm, who had been a hero in the war against Orlais. Once the warden's group defeated the creatures, the villagers all left, except for one, a man named Matthias.

Matthias was Wilhelm's son. Wilhelm had discovered the golem, Shale, when he was in the Deep Roads. The golem had served him for many years, but finally something had gone terribly wrong and the creature killed the mage. Matthias was not happy that Aeden was looking for the golem, but promised the correct activation phrase if the group would save his daughter from deeper in Wilhelm's dungeons.

They trekked deeper into the dungeons and battled demons, finally finding the girl under the enchantment of a desire demon. The demon was trapped in a cat's body and would not release the girl from its spell until the wardens removed the restraints from the demon, causing them to solve an ancient puzzle. Once the demon was released, they battled it to save the girl, handily defeating the fiend. Matthias was more than grateful to have his daughter returned safely, and Aeden was given the correct activation phrase – Dulen harn.

They walked to the golem and stood in a semi- circle in front of the stone creature. As Aeden spoke the magic words, the golem slowly came to life. The group watched as the golem lowered its arms and head as their hearts all beat quickly in their chests. It gazed on them and seemed to be trying to determine who or what they were.

"Not even a mage this time. Probably stumbled across the rod by accident, I suppose. Typical." The golem stretched its back as it continued to look down upon the party.

Aeden raised his eyebrow as he looked at the golem. "And how do you know I'm not a mage?"

The golem snorted. "It thinks these crystals are simply for show, I see." The golem moved its head and seemed to focus on Delia. "This one saw fit to clean me. May I ask it why? There has been no other human that ever cleaned me from the filth of the birds before."

Delia cleared her throat which seemed to have closed shut from her nervousness. "It seemed to me that you would look lovely once you were clean. Your crystals sparkle so wonderfully in the sunlight."

If a golem could smile, Delia would swear this one did at that moment. "Oh, I do so love my crystals. I cannot tell it how pleased I am that they are clean once again. I thank it. It was most helpful."

"I am glad to have assisted you. My name is Delia; may I ask you your name?"

"I may have forgotten after all the years of being called 'golem'." The golem complained at length about how Wilhelm had forced her to perform the most tedious tasks, including actually carrying the man when he was too tired to walk for himself. After continuing on of how wearisome her life had been, a realization came to her.

"Is something wrong?" Aeden asked the suddenly silent creature.

"It… does have the control rod, doesn't it? I am awake, so it… must… I see the control rod, yet I feel… Go on, order me to do something."

Aeden smiled mischievously before he said anything. "Fine. Attack Alistair."

Alistair jumped. "He-ey!"

"And… nothing? I feel nothing. I feel no compulsion to carry out its command. I suppose that means the rod is… broken?"

"So… what now? You go on a killing rampage?"

"Don't be ridiculous," snorted the golem. "Well, I wouldn't mind killing those birds… those evil birds and their foul droppings! I could crush them all!" The golem seemed to think for a moment. "It is simply… what should I do? I have no purpose… I find myself at a bit of a loss."

Aeden cleared his throat. "I am a Grey Warden, in need of aid against the Blight."

"It refers to the darkspawn, the very creatures that destroyed this village. The darkspawn are an evil that must be destroyed, it's true. Though not as evil as the birds, damnable feathered fiends!"

"You're welcome to come with me."

Alistair winced. "Are… you certain you want to bring that thing with us? It could be dangerous. And large."

"Think of it as a portable battering ram." Aeden laughed.

"Good point. Better it than me anyhow," Alistair said with a smile.

The golem nodded its head. "I will follow it about then… for now. I am called Shale, by the way."

"I am Aeden, and this is Alistair. We are both Grey Wardens and Delia is a recruit. We will introduce you to our traveling companions as we continue down the road, if you don't mind. I think we should get back onto the road. It's quite a way to the Brecilian Forest and I'd like to get there as soon as possible. It may take some time to find a Dalish camp once we're even there."

They walked back along the town's main road until they met with the rest of their party. Aeden asked Shale if she felt she could keep pace with the horses which earned him another snort of disgust.

"The mage made me run ahead of the horses. I can set the pace if you would like, unless you would prefer I run behind. Your animals are not used to creatures such as I, and I would prefer to prevent you from being squished under their hooves."

"Good point. Perhaps it would be wise for you to protect the rear of the party then."

"As you wish, human."

The party mounted the horses and began their travel to the east. As they traveled closer to The Hinterlands, Delia noticed that Alistair was becoming almost sullen. She rode over to Aeden and suggested they might find a place to camp for the night. Even though it was a bit early, Aeden agreed and started to search for a clearing large enough for their party. Within an hour he found a place alongside a river which was level and easily defended. The companions again fell into their easy routine of readying the camp and collecting the stones and wood for the fire pit.

Once the tents were raised and the fire was on its way, Aeden asked Alistair and Delia to fish with him at the river. The wardens set off along with Dusty and were happy to find some large boulders alongside the wide section of the river that were convenient for sitting upon while they fished. Aeden noticed Alistair's change in temperament and asked him what was troubling him."

"I can't help but think about Ostagar. We'll be passing almost right past it, and we need to find Cailan's chest. I'd also like to try to locate any… remains. Both Cailan and Duncan deserve a proper sendoff, don't you think?" He looked at Aeden expectantly. The anguish was clearly visible in his eyes as he thought again of his mentor and the brother he never really knew.

Aeden ran his hand through his hair in the nervous gesture he had picked up from his brother-in-arms. "Yes, I think you're right. The documents inside the chest might be of great importance and we can't allow them to fall into the wrong hands. And both Cailan and Duncan deserve proper pyres. We need to prepare ourselves, though. The darkspawn will be swarming all over the ruins. We'll need to leave the horses a good distance away."

Delia moved to Alistair and put her arms around his waist. She put her head on his shoulder before she spoke. "I know how difficult this is for you, my heart. You must be strong. We'll be here at your back to support you."

He turned his head toward her and kissed the top of her head. "I know, my love. It won't be easy for any of us. I appreciate both of you supporting me in this. Cailan didn't deserve to be deserted by Logain. He trusted him implicitly. And Duncan…" His eyes filled with tears.

"I know, love. We'll destroy as many darkspawn as possible in vengeance."

Aeden nodded. "Remember that Wynne and Sten have been adversely affected by the darkspawn too. They will both want to take their revenge as well. We'll let them know over dinner what our plans are."

Alistair looked down and nodded. Trying to get his mind off his sadness, Delia pushed a fishing rod into his hands.

"Alright, my prince, it's time to get to work, or else we won't have a decent dinner tonight."

He grunted in response to her but cast the fishing fly into the river. Aeden followed suit and it wasn't long before they started to catch some plump trout. Dusty became excited and started to run along the bank, barking his head off. Although they all found the mabari to be amusing, they didn't want him to scare the fish away. Delia decided to take the dog back to the main camp. As she walked away, Aeden turned to Alistair.

"It seems as though something has… deepened between the two of you."

Alistair blushed. "Yes… well… we sort of… talked. I… we…"

Aeden laughed. "You told her you love her, is that what you're trying so _eloquently_ to say?"

Alistair punched him in the arm. "Yes, thank you that is _precisely_ what I'm trying to say."

"Good for you! It's about sodding time! You are good for each other. She's certainly a good influence on you." Aeden grinned teasingly.

"Oh? How so?"

"You've been more decisive. You've seemed… happy. And she's seemed happy too. I really think the two of you belong together. Have you thought about what you want for the future?"

Alistair ran his hand through his hair. "Only all the time. But what kind of life could I give her? I'm… nothing."

Aeden scowled. "You, my friend are not _nothing_, not by any stretch of the imagination. You are a Grey Warden, but even more impressive is you are the rightful King of Ferelden! To be honest, my friend, you will need someone like her at your side. She's educated, understands politics far better than you, and with her gift you will know who you can trust and who you cannot. There isn't a woman in all of Thedas who would be a better match for you. And," he winked at his fellow warden, "she's pretty. Doesn't hurt that she's completely in love with you either."

"How can you tell that, though? I mean, I know how I feel when I'm with her, but how can I know how she feels? I don't want to push myself on her."

"I've known Delia all of my life, and believe me when I tell you that she has never looked at anyone the way she looks at you. She's devoted to you, Alistair. Think about your future. You love her, and she would be an asset to you and your throne. You both deserve some happiness in these dark times." He slapped Alistair on his shoulder. "Let's get these fish back to camp. I don't know about you, but I am so hungry I could eat a dire boar!"

Alistair laughed as he stood. The two walked back to the campfire with a string full of fish. As soon as they got there, Delia and Leliana happily took the fish to prepare them for dinner and Alistair sat near his tent to sharpen his blade.

"_I do love her, with all my heart and soul. Maybe Aeden is right – maybe we do deserve to be happy together. I suppose I'll have to find the right time, the right place, to say something. Would she even want me? Would she agree to follow the path that seems to be lain out for me? Oh, Maker, send me a sign. Let me know if this is the path I'm supposed to take."_

Alistair sighed and put his sword back into its scabbard. He walked back to the fire as he noticed the others being served, and as he sat next to Delia her smile lifted his spirits. _"I am truly a lucky man,"_ he thought to himself as he smiled back at her.


	42. Chapter 42

Chapter 42: The Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything

Aeden led his companions as close as they dared to Ostagar, but needed to find a safe place to set up camp in order to keep the horses safe from the darkspawn. They found a spot about an hour's walk outside the ruins that seemed to be relatively safe. Once the horses were safe, Aeden started for the ruins with Alistair, Sten, Wynne and Delia.

They walked south along the Imperial Highway. Delia couldn't help but remember when she first arrived at Ostagar. Her losses were so fresh at that time and she really had no idea what joining the Grey Wardens would truly mean. Since then she found so much more than she ever had anticipated. Her new 'family' was very close knit, and she had never before felt as if she was such an integral part of the whole.

It wasn't long before the ruins showed themselves through the remains of the forest. Alistair looked as if he was ill, so Delia took his hand and smiled at him, knowing words couldn't convey the support that her actions would. He squeezed her hand and smiled sadly back as they continued down the road.

As they entered the ruins, the wardens sensed the darkspawn almost immediately. They had to fight wave after wave of the monsters, but they were able to defeat them easily. Alistair was visibly upset when they discovered Cailan's armor had been distributed among the higher ranked monstrosities. Delia carefully placed each piece of armor into her pack as they recovered them, knowing she would be spending many hours cleaning it and making certain it was restored to its former luster for Alistair.

The map they had received from Elrich proved to be accurate and the key to Cailan's chest was recovered easily. Aeden led them through the makeshift walls erected by the darkspawn toward where the Royal Encampment had been located. As they made their way there, they found the remains of Duncan's camp. The darkspawn had desecrated it, making it into an almost demonic altar. It took all of their concentration to not be sickened by the sight, and they continued to the royal area.

Cailan's chest was intact, although it looked as if the darkspawn had tried to break it open. Alistair used the key to open the lock, and then pried the door open the rest of the way. Inside he found the documents Elrich had spoken of as well as Maric's sword. He ran his hand along the blade, looking at it wistfully.

"A copper for your thoughts, love," Delia asked as she put her hand on his arm. "Are you alright?"

"It's just so… difficult. Cailan was a good man, perhaps a bit idealistic, but he didn't deserve this. And then here is my father's sword. It never should have been in my hands, but here it is and there is no one else who deserves it more than I do, simply by default. I wish I could have known them both. I mean… to have had a father and a brother… I would have really liked that."

"I know, my love. For some reason The Maker had another path for you, and his reasons may not ever be clear to us, but there _is_ a reason. You must have faith in that. Come now, we had best be moving. I'm certain there are many more darkspawn about."

He nodded his head. "Yes, I can sense them – too many to count, but they seem to be in small clusters." With a sigh, he allowed her to lead him toward the bridge that crossed the battlefield to the Tower of Ishal.

As they crossed the bridge, Aeden, Alistair and Delia were all lost in their thoughts. They remembered running across the bridge under heavy fire the night of the battle. It seemed that all their memories flooded back in an instant, but then they were stopped in mid-step by a gruesome sight. The darkspawn had taken the corpse of the king and impaled it on a series of poles.

Knowing they had to kill the darkspawn before anything else, Alistair kneeled at the base of the bizarre shrine. "You deserved so much better, my brother. I promise that we will return and give you a proper pyre as soon as we can."

He stood and continued the walk toward the tower. As they neared the other side of the bridge, another group of darkspawn attacked. It seemed as though one of them was a special emissary – one with greater abilities than they had seen before. It ran away from them, leaving various grunts to battle. Once they crossed the bridge they found more pockets of darkspawn which the party dispatched quickly.

As they walked the final distance to the Tower of Ishal, Alistair reached once more for Delia's hand. Everything seemed as if it were a nightmare to him. Perhaps he would wake up and find himself once more back in the Chantry before he had ever met Duncan? No, he didn't want that to happen. He actually was beginning to understand that fate had brought them all here at this time for a purpose. As he looked into Delia's eyes before Aeden opened the door to the tower, Alistair realized for himself how much strength she had given to him in the short time they had known each other. The smile he gave her radiated that strength, and she was surprised at how powerful he seemed in that moment.

They entered the tower and continued to kill darkspawn as they made their way through the first floor rooms. Aeden led them to the hole in the floor they had discovered the night of the battle, and the five carefully climbed down. There were a series of tunnels under the tower that no one seemed to have been aware of. More darkspawn attacked, as well as corrupted spiders. The spiders were the one thing that really bothered Delia – their webs would get stuck in her hair and she couldn't get them out without help. Alistair would usually oblige, even though he would be laughing at her while he pulled them out.

Finally they located a hole in the wall that led out to the battlefield. Corpses were strewn everywhere, and the stench was overwhelming. Choking back their nausea, they made their way to the center of the field where they found the corpse of an ogre with Duncan's sword and dagger still implanted in its chest. As they moved toward the corpse to retrieve the blades, the powerful emissary appeared. Chanting a spell, it reanimated the dead ogre and as it charged the group the emissary reanimated the corpses that lay on the battlefield.

The three warriors split up their talents with Sten battling the undead while Aeden and Alistair focused on the ogre. Delia protected Wynne, allowing the mage to spend her energy healing the warriors instead of protecting herself. The emissary continued to animate the corpses surrounding the party, and finally their numbers threatened to overwhelm them! As Aeden shifted his fight to kill more of the undead, the ogre grabbed Alistair. His shriek of pain forced Delia's attention to shift away from Wynne to him.

Seeing her love being squeezed to his death was not something she wanted to ever see. A sudden surge of energy overtook her and she ran straight at the beast, leaping into the air and thrusting her blades into the monster's decaying chest. As the ogre fell onto its back, Delia twisted her blades, her anger channeling into a strength she never had seen in herself before. Once she was convince the creature was dead, she leaped off and ran to Alistair.

Sten and Aeden had killed the last of the undead and were battling the emissary. They didn't seem to need any more help, so Delia focused on Alistair, pulling healing poultices from her bag.

She gently lifted his head into her lap and poured a potion into his mouth. "Alistair? Can you hear me? Please, love, talk to me… I need to hear your voice."

A tear fell from her eye onto his face, and his hand wiped it away before he thought about it. "Whoops… well, I guess you know I'm alright then… and I was hoping to have all your sympathy."

Delia pushed his head off her lap and stood up angrily. "I thought that thing had killed you, and you're going to make fun of me? Now? Why would you do something so… so cruel!"

Alistair stood up with a chuckle. "I'm sorry, darling, I just couldn't help myself. After you saved me from the ogre's clutches, it only seemed the only thing I could possible do is swoon in front of your amazing self." He smiled broadly and, taking her hand in his, kissed her softly on her knuckles, then turned her hand over and kissed her palm. "You truly are the most amazing woman, Delia," he whispered into her ear before he put his arms around her and drew her into a lingering kiss.

Wynne watched the two from across the field, her demeanor softening from the battle into a more sentimental mood.

"Ah, young love," she said to herself as she watched the two lovers.

Upon hearing the mage's comment, Aeden looked across to see the two kissing. Smiling mischievously, he whistled loudly before calling over to them. "Alright, enough you two. We still have work to do here. Wait until you're back at camp and we can ignore you!"

Both Alistair and Delia blushed as they released each other. They retrieved Duncan's blades from the ogre's corpse before they followed the other three back to the tower's tunnels, keeping their distance from Sten who was glaring at them in a way that left them both feeling like teenagers caught by their father.

They walked back to where Cailan's body hung. As they drew closer, Wynne noticed Alistair's discomfort and put her hand on his shoulder.

"Alistair, are you all right?" she asked with concern in her tone.

"Ugh. They left him here to rot. We need to do something."

Aeden nodded his head. "He is of royal blood and deserves a pyre."

Alistair looked up at his brother, a sorrowful look on his face. "He was a good man who hoped too much and died too young. He deserves what little honor we can afford to give him."

Sten walked up to the king's body and started the process of removing it from the poles. Before long he was able to set Cailan down on the ground. They used the poles to form the foundation of the funeral pyre, and then searched for the rest of the wood needed around the outside of the ruins.

Once Cailan's corpse was laid on the pyre, Delia arranged his arms and legs in a proper manner. Alistair recited appropriate prayers for the dead while the group kneeled in front of the pyre. Then he stood and turned toward his friends.

"I wish I could have known my brother better. I suppose I'm fortunate to have spoken to him at all, given my own history." He nervously ran his hand through his hair as the rest of the party stood. "The first time I met him was when I was a young boy. He barely acknowledged my presence, but that was fine by me at the time. At least I had one conversation with him that I can remember. It was the day before Duncan returned from Highever with the two of you." He smiled at Delia and Aeden. "Cailan requested I join him for tea, and he asked me about my life in the Chantry and how I became a warden. He seemed duly impressed that I was a member of the Grey Wardens; of course that's because he idolized them so very much.

I would like to think if my life had been different, I would have been close to him, as you were, Aeden and Delia, to your brothers. I sit and listen to your stories and wonder what it would have been like, had Maric raised me as his own child." He turned and looked sadly at the corpse. "I'll never know if we would have been friends, but I make this promise to you, my brother. I will do everything in my power to unite Ferelden and protect her against the Blight and the Archdemon. You will be proud of me."

Alistair reached for a nearby torch and lit the pyre. As the flames rose higher and hotter, Delia went to his side and slipped her arm around his waist. She stood on her toes so that she could whisper in his ear, "I'm certain he already is proud of you. You will be a wonderful king."

He leaned over and kissed the top of her head and they stood together as they watched the pyre burn. After they stood for a time, Wynne convinced them to sit across from the fire with the rest of the group. They stayed until the fire burned itself out, and then brought torches with them as they made their way back up the Imperial Highway to the campsite.

Although they arrived late in the evening, Leliana made sure there was plenty of stew for them to eat. They sat at the fire, eating their dinner in near silence, each one replaying the events of the day in their own minds. Aeden spent time explaining everything that had happened to those that had remained at the camp so that they would understand Alistair's pensive mood and give him time to grieve.

They had been able to give Cailan a proper send-off to the Maker, but there was no sign of Duncan's remains. All they had were Duncan's sword and dagger. Alistair's grief for his mentor was like a newly opened scar, but he tried to be strong. He had to be strong. His life was changing, whether it would be better or worse would be up to him, as he needed to become the king he never expected to be.

Alistair sat, staring at the fire with Delia in his arms leaning against his chest. He kissed the top of her head, causing her to snuggle closer to him. He made a decision right then – he needed Delia to be his wife, no matter what. She made him complete and gave him the strength and courage he never had before. Delia made him want to be a good… no, a great king. He wanted to make Ferelden the most wonderful country in all of Thedas! One thing that was clear to him was that he couldn't do it without her at his side. It was time to plan a proposal, not that he knew what to do, but he knew it had to be meaningful and honest. She gave meaning to his life, and he wanted to show her every day just how precious she was to him.


	43. Chapter 43

Chapter 43: True Treasure

The wardens and their companions traveled east toward the Brecilian Forest. They hoped it wouldn't be difficult to find the Dalish Elves, but the forest encompassed the entire eastern portion of Ferelden and the elves could be anywhere. The days they spent traveling to the forest were mostly uneventful, although they had the occasional surges of darkspawn and a few bandits.

Once they entered the forest they all became uneasy. The undergrowth was thick and the canopy of leaves allowed little sunlight to reach the ground. It would be all too easy for someone to hide along the road and attack them suddenly. Aeden was looking far down the road when something moved and caught his attention. Luckily, he was able to call everyone's attention to the movement, so they all realized that it was one of the elves they were seeking, rather than a bandit or assassin. As they drew closer, the wardens realized there were several elven hunters waiting for them.

"Stop right there, outsider. The Dalish have camped in this spot. I suggest you go elsewhere, and quickly." The hunters' leader glared at them suspiciously.

"Actually, I've been looking for the Dalish." Aeden tried to look relaxed and non-threatening, knowing the history between elves and humans had been contentious.

"I find that hard to believe. What business could we Dalish have with a group like yours?" The elves kept their gazes on the group, their bows ready to shoot in a spit second.

Aeden straightened his back. "I am a Grey Warden. I wish to speak to your leader."

"A Grey Warden? How do I know you're telling the truth?" The leader of the hunters sneered as he spoke."

"You will have to take my word on it," Aeden said confidently.

The hunter snorted. "I suppose that a lie wouldn't gain you much benefit. I shall take you to the keeper."

With a silent nod at the hunter, Aeden motioned for his group to follow as the hunter led them on a narrow path through the brush. The path led to a large clearing where the elves had set up their camp. Delia had always appreciated the elven ways, and had visited many Dalish camps in Antiva. For some reason, the Antivan Dalish seemed much friendlier than this particular clan. The clans she had met previously were certainly leery of humans, but usually were won over quickly as soon as the humans and elves shared stories. She found herself feeling very self-conscious and wondered how long it would take for this group to trust her own group.

The hunters asked the wardens' group to leave their cart, horses and the majority of their people in a field at the edge of their own group. Aeden asked Alistair and Delia to accompany him to meet the Keeper, leaving the others as they were watched over by a group of wary hunters.

The leader of the hunting party led the three to an elf who was much older than the others. His manner of dress set him apart as well; his ceremonial robe seemed almost out of place among the practical armor of the other members of his clan.

He introduced himself as the clan's keeper, Zathrian, and was surprised to find the wardens treating him with respect. The wardens discussed the Blight with him, and although he had sensed the corruption, he explained that his clan was not in a position to help the wardens. His people were being systematically attacked by cursed werewolves, under the leadership of one they called Witherfang. He explained the symptoms his people suffered from after being bitten, and how they needed to destroy Witherfang in order to end the curse and save his people.

Aeden and Alistair were willing to help the keeper with his clan's troubles because they desperately needed the elves to help fight the Blight, so they readily agreed to search for Witherfang. Delia offered to help nurse the afflicted. She felt there might be potions she had learned in Antiva that could help alleviate the people's suffering and buy them time.

Zathrian introduced the three humans to his second, Lanaya. As he took Aeden and Alistair aside to draw a map of the forest for them, Lanaya brought Delia to her aravel where she kept her supplies. Entering the aravel, Delia was amazed. Lanaya had collected and dried every herb Delia had ever learned about, except for the few only found outside of Ferelden. Delia reached into her own pack and brought out samples of several herbs Lanaya did not have.

"These herbs may be of help for your people. This one here is from Seheron, the land where our Qunari friend, Sten, is from. It is used to help the body heal itself and is a useful additive for healing potions. This other is from Antiva, where my elven friend, Zevran, is from. It is used as an additive to lower fevers. Both are very potent, so we will only need small amounts, usually one small leaf per dosage."

"Thank you, warden. I must admit that I am… surprised to find a human offering to help us. Most of your kind would, at best, ignore us, but unfortunately many seek to harm us. May I ask why you are so… forthcoming?" Lanaya looked wary, almost as though she expected Delia to attack at any moment.

Delia smiled at the elf sadly. "First, please know that I am a warden recruit, not a full warden. I have not taken my joining yet, but will as soon as I can. I know the history between our two peoples, especially here in Ferelden, is terrible. Please know that not all humans feel that elves are beneath them. Many, such as me, believe that all races are equal, and the ways some humans in Ferelden behave is not the way all humans behave here or in other countries. I, myself, have spent a large part of my life in Antiva. There, the elves and the humans are nearly equivalent. I will not lie to you and say they are completely equal, for the nobles are all human, but the other levels of society are intermingled."

"Are all elves free in Antiva? Do they own land and travel as they please?"

Delia sadly shook her head. "Not all elves are free, but then again, not all humans are free either. There is slavery in Antiva. As a matter of fact, Zevran was sold as a slave himself. His masters believe him dead, and should they discover he lives they will send others to kill him."

Lanaya was shocked. "Why would a slave master wish to murder their slave? I understand if you seek to free him, but couldn't you merely buy him from his owner and release him?"

"Unfortunately, Zev was sold to a group called the Antivan Crows. They are a group of master assassins. He was sent to kill the wardens, actually, and his failure means his death. They would have expected him to die in the assassination attempt, but since we spared him, the crows will try to kill him instead."

Lanaya was surprised. "Why did you spare him? He tried to kill you, and he is an elf. Do your companions look upon elves as benevolently as you do?"

"I cannot speak for my friends, but I have never seen them act in a way where they thought any differently of a person due to their race. Grey Wardens, in particular, accept everyone equally. I was the one who asked for Zev to be spared. It is a long story, but he had saved my life prior to his attempt on the wardens. He is a good friend to me, and has proven himself to everyone else." With a chuckle and a warm smile, Delia continued. "However, I must warn you about him – he is quite a… lecherous personality. He flirts unmercifully, but I assure you he is harmless."

Lanaya smiled back. "I know quite a few men who behave the same way. Might I warn you about our Sarel, the storyteller? I would be surprised if he doesn't flirt with you before you and your companions leave."

Delia laughed and assured Lanaya she would watch for him. After the two agreed to meet again the following morning, Delia left the aravel to find her companions. As she wandered through the elven camp she found a young man, staring sadly into the campfire. She walked up to him and put her hand on his shoulder, startling him.

"Err… hello." He looked terrified as he stood quickly.

"There's no need to be afraid of me." She smiled warmly at the man, trying to reassure him.

"Of course. I'm- I'm very sorry, it's just that… we don't get many visitors. Like you. I mean. Of your kind." He put his face into the palm of his hand in embarrassment. "I didn't mean it like that. Can I start again? My name is Cammen."

Delia grasped his arm in a warrior's handshake. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Cammen." Images swirled through her head as she saw his past. "_A very pleasant childhood, learning how to hunt from his parents… nothing truly out of the ordinary… met a girl who took his breath away, quite literally, but although she seemed to return his feelings she refused him because he wasn't a full-fledged hunter yet. His sadness overwhelmed him, and he couldn't complete his hunt, and now he is not allowed to enter the forest for hunting. What a sweet young man… he deserves to be happy, but what can I do for him?" _

"So, Cammen, I couldn't help but notice how… sad you looked just now. Is there something I can help you with?" She smiled warmly at him, making him shift uneasily from one foot to the other.

"I… shouldn't be talking about this with an outsider. You wouldn't understand."

She placed her hand on his shoulder softly. "Try me. I might surprise you."

He looked into her eyes, and seeing her gentle demeanor he nodded his head and started to spill his feelings for his love, Gheyna. She refused to 'bond' with him because he was so far unable to bring her a pelt from his own kill. In the eyes of his clan, he was not a man until he had hunted his own kill and had a pelt to show for it, but with the werewolves attacking Zathrian forbade the hunters from entering the woods. He feared another man would claim her for their own wife, and he felt helpless.

"Let me talk to her on your behalf. I can be pretty persuasive."

"But why would you care about me? Surely you have far more important things to take care of."

"I have a soft spot in my heart for a handsome man in love," she said with a wink before she started off toward Gheyna.

When she reached the young elven woman, Delia introduced herself and explained her conversation with Cammen. Gheyna was very polite, but repeated exactly what she had told Cammen, that she could not bond with him because if he were not a proper hunter he would be unable to provide for their family.

"If you love him, believe in him and help him succeed. Love has a way of giving you strength when nothing else seems to work, and I bet it would work wonders for him to know you are there for him, no matter what."

Gheyna looked at her with wonder in her eyes. "You sound as if you have firsthand knowledge."

Delia smiled and blushed. "I do indeed. The man I love has… grown so much since I first met him. He has become decisive and courageous. There is a saying among my people, that behind every successful man is a strong woman. Be _his_ strength, and I believe he will prove to you that as soon as he is allowed to go into the woods, he will reward your belief with success. He loves you with his entire heart, Gheyna. Such love is rare, and should be treasured."

The elf looked at her in awe. "I think you're right. Excuse me, please. I must find Cammen now." She started to leave, but turned back and hugged Delia. "Thank you for helping me see this another way. I am so happy!" She smiled and ran off, toward the fire where Cammen was sitting.

Delia didn't know that her conversation with Gheyna was being overheard by two particular people. Alistair had been looking for her, and when he noticed her talking to the young girl he leaned against a nearby tree. Her words about treasuring love warmed his heart. "_Soon, my love, your belief in me will be rewarded… I hope!"_

The other person lurked in the shadows. Zevran had overheard both the conversation with Cammen and then he followed her to Gheyna. Love was foreign to him. He heard Delia's words about being the strength behind the man and treasuring love and he found himself wishing that he were the object of her affections. Of course, he understood full well that her love was for the Templar, but still... If only he were not a whoreson, perhaps he would have had a chance. "_Fate is such a tricky whore… my dear Delia, I wish someone could see me the way you see your Templar. You almost make me believe in love, but it is not something for Zevran. I had my chance, and I ruined it, just as I ruin everything I touch."_ He turned away and remained in the shadows until he was back at his companion's fire.


	44. Chapter 44

**Yes, a second chapter tonight. I may not be able to write tomorrow as I had planned, so I decided to push this through now. Hope you all enjoy!**

Chapter 44: Encampment

The wardens' companions spent the evening camped comfortably among the elves. They stayed to themselves, as the elves were not very comfortable with their presence, but it didn't trouble the humans. Each member of the group understood the difficulty the elves had with humans, and they didn't take their aloofness personally.

Most of the group sat around the campfire chatting after dinner. Wynne was kind enough to share some wine she brought from the Tower. The alcohol helped warm them as the evening was quite chilly. Delia sat on the ground between Alistair's legs, leaning back on his chest. She told the others it was purely for warmth, but she rather enjoyed being that close to him and wanted to take full advantage of the opportunity. He would be gone for several days with Aeden, Wynne and Leliana as they searched for Witherfang, and Delia knew she would miss Alistair terribly.

It wasn't long before Wynne took her leave, followed shortly by Leliana and Zevran. Both women wanted to have a good night's sleep before whatever awaited them in the forest. Aeden left the fire soon after, taking Dusty with him to patrol the camp. Morrigan had stayed at her own tent, as was her normal ritual, and Sten had gone to his tent early to prepare for his watch later in the evening with Zevran.

"Alone at last," Alistair whispered in Delia's ear. As he started to nuzzle her neck, his stub of a beard tickled her, and she turned to face him as she laughed.

"You know, I'm going to miss you while you're away. Make sure you don't get desperate for a woman's companionship out there. I don't think I'd be able to forgive Leli… or Wynne for that matter."

He acted shocked. "As if either of them could possible compare to you, my heart. And… Wynne? I think of her as a sort of grandmotherly type. You couldn't possibly think she could ever be… I mean, really!"

"Well, you never know. Zev seems to be smitten with her bosom after all. Who am I to say what you men find attractive." She smiled and touched her finger to his nose. "I only hope that the memory of me will keep you warm enough while you are away."

"You have nothing to worry about. Wynne is definitely too old, and from what I can tell, Leliana may be… taken."

Delia's eyes opened wide. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I believe our Aeden is smitten. Have you seen the way he looks at her? And really, why would he choose her to go with us? You and Zevran have both surpassed her lock picking skills, Zev is the best rogue in the group, sorry my dear, but you know it's true," he smiled at her lopsidedly, "and so if he were to bring any rogue besides him he should bring you. As you've said, how can you get better at battles if you don't get practice?"

"Hmmm…. Aeden smitten… I've been too busy thinking about myself to even see it! I think you're right, Alistair." She smiled at him as she moved her face closer to his. "At least I have less reason to fret about being replaced now."

He pulled her closer to him. "There is no replacing you. Not ever." He kissed her passionately. As he pulled away, she put her head on his shoulder.

"Good to know. I do love you, Alistair."

"And I, you. Now… unfortunately I must get some sleep, or I will be falling asleep while we walk tomorrow. For some reason I don't think Aeden would appreciate that much, especially if I'm in the front of our group. I might lead us off a cliff or something."

She looked up into his eyes and chuckled. "We definitely don't want _that_ to happen. After all, Wynne might turn you into a toad or something…"

"Wynne would never do that to me. She loves me like her own grandson." He ran his fingers through her hair absentmindedly.

"Still, it would be best to keep her on your good side. Oh, and don't bother her with darning your socks or repairing your clothes. You know how that irritates her. Anything you need repaired just leave here with me, and I'll take care of them for you."

He put his arms on her shoulders and looked into her eyes. "You will? Wow… that _is_ true love when a woman actually volunteers to darn your socks!" She punched him in his arm, getting a hearty laugh from him. The two kissed goodnight and they went to their separate tents, Delia immediately missing the warmth of his body as she climbed into her cold bedroll.

Delia and Shale had the third watch, so after they walked the perimeter of camp Delia performed her stretching routine near the fire. Shale stood guard while watching the human stretch.

"Does it do this every morning? I do not see the point."

"Yes, Shale. Humans have muscles in their arms and legs that need to be stretched out, especially after a cold night."

"I am unaffected by the weather, but I suppose it might make some sense. I find myself feeling a bit sorry for it. I actually like the cold weather. The birds tend to be elsewhere when it is cold, giving me a reprieve from those feathered fiends."

Delia chuckled softly. "Yes, I can imagine you would enjoy that. Don't worry though, if I see any pigeons flying your way I'll shoo them off."

"I knew there was a reason why I enjoyed its company."

Delia smiled at the golem as the first rays of the sun shown over the treetops. She decided to build the fire higher because she knew everyone would be cold sitting in the crisp morning air, and then she started cooking breakfast. Delia decided to cook a pot of oatmeal and use dried apples and cinnamon to flavor it. As it cooked, its delicious aroma wafted through the camp. Dusty was the first to wake up to the smell, not surprising in that the mabari's nose was sensitive to scents. The dog emerged from Aeden's tent, wagging his tail as he tried to convince Delia to feed him breakfast.

"Sorry, Dusty, breakfast isn't ready yet. I promise I'll have a bowl for you as soon as possible."

Dusty licked her hand in reply, almost as if to say thank you. Then he ran toward a tree to take care of his mabari needs. The other members of the camp started to wake, and Delia could hear rustling in most of the tents as they dressed themselves. As she crouched in front of the pot to stir the oatmeal she felt hands on her shoulders and a soft kiss on the top of her head. She turned around, smiling, expecting to see Alistair, but instead it was Zevran.

"Ah, my dear Delia, I can't begin to tell you how happy I am that you are cooking breakfast this morning. You are the only person here who can make proper oatmeal. The lumps that are formed when Morrigan cooks are repulsive. I do not understand that woman, and I do pride myself on understanding women! Men too, but women mostly since I am not one of them myself." He smiled at her, leeringly, earning a smirk back.

"Zev, you really shouldn't sneak up on me like that. You never know when I might simply strike out, and I wouldn't want to hurt you."

"Ah, but you would not hurt your Zevran. I know you love me." He wiggled his eyebrow at her. "And someday I will convince you of that fact. Perhaps with your handsome Templar in tow… who knows!" He laughed uproariously as she chuckled.

"I know that you are a lucky man, but I highly doubt that even you are that lucky."

"Ah, you wound me!" He took a seat near the fire and watched as Alistair came out of his tent. "And, see now, here he comes! Perhaps I shall be lucky sooner than you think!"

Alistair frowned at the elf. "Sorry, Zevran, I heard your conversation and I have to say it won't happen even if the Black Temple itself freezes over."

Zevran smiled happily at the Templar. "You cannot blame a man for trying, eh? I shall not give up on you, Alistair. You are far too luscious a target."

Alistair visibly shook and then turned his back on Zevran with a sigh. "Maybe the forest will be a good change of pace for me. I don't know how much more of him I can take." He leaned down and kissed Delia on her cheek. "You, however, I can never see enough of." He smiled warmly at her, and earned a broad smile in return.

The campsite seemed to suddenly spring to life as the other members of the party emerged from their tents and joined them at the fire. Delia gave the serving duties over to Wynne and sat down with her breakfast alongside Alistair and Aeden.

The three talked about what the wardens wanted Delia to work on during her stay with the elves. Aeden felt Delia would be a perfect diplomat to establish trust and friendship with the Dalish, given her studies in culture, history and religion as well as her herbalism knowledge. Her goals were to assist with the care of the sick elves while she worked on building relationships. Delia felt Lanaya would become a friend easily. She felt very relaxed with the young woman, and they shared their herbalism interest which gave an easy starting point.

"I'm leaving Zev with you on purpose." Aeden looked at Delia thoughtfully. "I know he's a flirt, but I think your friendship with him will show us in a positive light. He may also be able to learn things about the Dalish that we can't, either because of his being an elf or by hiding in the shadows. I also trust that he will have your best interests at heart and will protect you with his life."

Delia nodded. "Zev is a wonderful man." As Alistair rolled his eyes at her, she laughed and continued to speak. "I know, Alistair, but underneath his tough exterior he has a heart of gold. I do trust him with my life. With Zev as my eyes and Sten as my blade I will be safe, I know it."

"Ye-es, I know, but I do wish he'd tone himself down. I trust him too – just don't tell _him_ that." Alistair took her hand and kissed it gently.

Both Delia and Aeden snickered. "Alright, I suppose we'd best pack up."

After Alistair walked into his tent, Aeden looked at his adopted sister with a worried look. "Are you sure you'll be alright? I hate to leave you behind, but the Dalish need help here."

She put her hand on his arm. "I'll be fine. Zev won't let anything happen to me."

"Maybe I should leave Dusty here with you. I just have a bad feeling. He could be a better personal guardian than Zev in that he can be right at your side at all times. Would you feel… awkward if I gave him that job?" Aeden's eyes reflected his fears for her safety.

"If you don't think you'll need him with you, I would gladly have him with me. I think you may be right, given something Lanaya said to me yesterday."

"It's settled then. Dusty will be your personal guardian until I come back. It'll make Alistair and Wynne both feel better too. It's amazing how much Wynne worries about you."

Delia laughed. "I thought she only cared about her adopted grandson! It's good to know I'm on her good side."

Aeden gave her a quick kiss on her cheek and walked to his own tent to finish his packing. The four were ready to leave within an hour. Delia and Dusty accompanied Alistair, Aeden, Leliana and Wynne to the path leading deeper into the forest. Zathrian was waiting at the entrance to the woods, and he walked up to Aeden as they arrived.

"I wanted to wish the Creator's blessings on your party, warden. May he assist you in every way so that you may return safely and successfully." Zathrian bowed to the wardens as he spoke.

"Thank you, keeper. While we are gone, Delia and Morrigan will assist your healers. Both women are very skilled at herbalism, and I'm certain that both our people will learn a great deal from each other."

Zathrian walked back to his aravel and left the humans alone. Delia turned to her friends and wished them well, giving each a hug before they left. She saved Alistair's hug for last, and after a lingering kiss she whispered in his ear, "Stay safe, my heart. I will scarcely breathe until you are back in my arms."

He kissed her ear. "You say the sweetest things, but be sure to breathe. I wouldn't want you looking blue when I get back." He chuckled softly, and then kissed her softly once more. "You stay safe as well, my heart. Keep Dusty at your side all the time. Promise me?"

"Yes, I will. Dusty will watch over me even better than you do." She smiled at him and pushed him toward the forest. "You had better go now, else I won't be able to let you go."

Alistair gave her a lopsided smile as he walked backward. "We'll be back as soon as possible. I love you, Delia."

"And I you, Alistair." She watched them as they walked down the narrow trail until they were lost among the underbrush. With a heavy sigh, Delia turned back toward the center of the elven encampment, steeling herself for the work ahead of her. She straightened her back, took a deep breath, and walked toward Lanaya's aravel.


	45. Chapter 45

Chapter 45: Highs and Lows

Dusty pranced along at Delia's side as she walked toward Lanaya's aravel. The mabari was enjoying the crisp morning air and he seemed to have more energy than usual. Autumn was fully upon them now, and the trees were losing their leaves, much to Dusty's delight. He chased the leaves as they blew across the field, leaving Delia laughing at his puppy-like antics.

Once they arrived at the aravel, Delia knocked on the door. Lanaya opened it and beckoned the human to enter.

"Aneth ara, Delia. I'm glad you are here. I need to make the potions and poultices for the day and can use your help, if you don't mind."

"That's what I'm here for, Lanaya. I'll be more than happy to help." She smiled warmly at the elf and immediately started to work.

It didn't take long before the two women finished making the mixtures and left the aravel to nurse the sick. Most of the elves were extremely feverish, and they were barely aware of who was giving them their healing potions. There were several, however, who still were aware, and they looked at Delia with expressions of surprise, fear, or anger.

One of these elves was a man named Galien. Delia walked over to his cot and knelt at his side while she placed a poultice on his forehead to ease his fever. He looked at her with an expression of combined surprise and anger, and he didn't hold his tongue.

"What is this? A human… taking care of an elf? Whatever did I do to deserve such _special_ treatment?" He sneered at her, earning a simple smile back from the woman.

"I am simply here to help, ser. It matters not to me who you are, simply that you are sick and need someone to help you live." She gently smoothed the poultice while she retained her calm demeanor.

"Why would a _shem_ help here? What is it you want? Looking' for new slaves?"

"I assure you, my good man, this lovely lady has no use for slaves. As a matter of fact, she is more of a savior of slaves than an enslaver. I know from experience." Zevran appeared behind her, smiling broadly at Delia as he spoke. "I would hope that you would show her the same modicum of respect she shows you, or I shall have need to teach you how to be respectful."

She looked up at Zevran with a small frown. "Please, Zev, there is no need to be angry at him. He is merely speaking from his own experience. I hope that, perhaps, I can change his mind about my people and prove that we are not all the shameful creatures he has met in the past."

"Bah, he is simply being rude because he _can_, and you are allowing it." He glared at the sick elf. "This woman is a Grey Warden recruit, but more than that she is a good and honest person. You _will_ be civil, or your keeper shall hear of it."

She looked at Zevran with the sweetest smile she could muster. "Zev, would you please go into Lanaya's aravel and get some more healing poultices for me? I am running out." She stood to move to the next person, smiling at Gailen before she left his side. "If there is anything you need, ser, please don't hesitate to ask. I will be back later to check on you."

Lanaya watched the exchange with interest. It seemed that no matter how much Gailen tried to upset the human, she simply took his venom in her stride. She watched as Delia moved to the next person, a woman named Stolia, who also hated humans vehemently. Stolia had watched Delia as she tended to Gailen, and Lanaya wanted to see what her elven friend would say to Delia.

"How are you feeling today?" Delia smiled warmly at Stolia as she unraveled a health poultice.

"About the same as yesterday. I suppose that's good." The elf looked uneasy. "May I ask you a question?"

"Of course." Her eyes met the elves as she began to smooth the poultice on her forehead.

"Why are you helping us? I… don't mean to disrespect you," her eyes looked past Delia, searching for Zevran, "but humans just don't help elves. It just isn't something they _do_."

Delia smiled. "Not all humans think that elves are beneath them. I know there are many that do, especially her in Ferelden, but I have spent a good deal of my life in Antiva. There, the only class of humans that look down on elves are the royalty, but then again, they look down on _everybody_." She laughed softly. "I attended a school where many of my teachers were elves, as were many of my student friends. To me, elves are people, just as humans are, or dwarves."

Stolia's eyebrow raised. "You had elven teachers? Really?"

"Yes, it is quite normal in Antiva."

"And the elf who travels with you… what is he to you?"

"He is my friend, my colleague. I would daresay he is like family to me." She looked wistful. "I trust him more than most anyone."

Stolia frowned in disbelief. "I have never heard of a sh… human who trusted an elf unless they were a servant."

"Well, he is no servant of mine. He is free to do as he pleases, and I am very happy to say that he chooses to travel with us. Zevran is a wonderful man, and as I said, there are very few people in this world that I trust more than I trust him."

Delia stood and smiled down at Stolia. "It there anything else you need? Some water, perhaps?"

"Thank you, no, not now." Stolia looked up at the human in wonder. "You are a very strange human, has anyone ever told you that before?"

She laughed, and the sound seemed like music to Lanaya, who continued to listen to the conversation. "I can't say that I have been told that before, but perhaps you will come to think of this strange _shemlen_ as a friend before our time together is finished. Now, be sure to rest, and we will be back later with more poultices and potions."

"Dareth shiral, Delia. I look forward to talking to you later then." Stolia smiled at the human, and Delia bowed slightly to her.

"Dareth shiral to you as well, Stolia. Rest well." Delia turned around and walked back towards the aravel, but Lanaya beckoned her to her side.

"I believe you are making friends with my people easily," Lanaya smiled brightly at Delia. "You are very patient with them and their beliefs of your people. I am impressed."

"If I am not patient with them, given their experiences with others of my kind, how can I teach them to not fear me? They must see for themselves that my heart is open to them in order for them to open theirs to me." She looked across the cots to see if anyone had been missed in their ministrations. "I believe everyone has been taken care of for now, is there anything else I can do to help you?"

"Not right now, falon. Why don't you take some time to relax – perhaps introduce yourself to other members of our clan? You should speak to Sarel, our storyteller, but I warn you that he can be as flirtatious as your friend, Zevran. Keep him at an arm's length."

"I'm certain his stories would be most enlightening. Perhaps he would like to hear some of the elven stories I learned in Antiva."

"I'm most certain he would. Dareth shiral, falon." Lanaya walked over to the keeper's aravel, obviously having clan business to attend to.

Delia walked to the door of Lanaya's aravel to see Zevran inside, searching for the poultices. "Zev, we're actually finished here for now. Would you like to walk around the camp with me? I would like to meet other members of the clan and see how they live their everyday lives."

He brightened immediately. "I would love to walk with you, mi querida. Lead the way."

The two walked around the elven camp, watching as the children played and the adults performed their daily chores. It seemed almost idyllic as if there were nothing wrong in the world. As they walked toward the edge of the camp they found a herd of beautiful deer-like creatures. They were pure white, with antlers that twisted gracefully atop their heads. One of the creatures was apart from the others with an elven woman attending to it, a very worried look on her face.

Delia walked to her, introduced herself and asked what was wrong. The elf explained that her name was Elora, the master herder and primary caretaker of the halla. The beautiful animals were more than animals to the elves – they were considered to be companions and guides. The particular halla Elora was caring for was acting strangely, and she was worried it might have been bitten by a werewolf. She tried to calm the creature down from its agitated state, but no matter what she did the animal wouldn't calm. Elora was unable to speak to the halla until it relaxed.

Delia's eyes reflected Elora's worry. "Is there anything we can do to help?"

"I don't know. Do you have any skills that might help her? If you do, I would be grateful." Elora looked at the two with hope.

"Zev, I know you have learned massage techniques. There are people who use massage on animals to relax them – perhaps if you massaged the halla it would help her settle down and Elora can speak to her."

Zevran raised his eyebrow. "I must admit, I have never massages a woman such as this," he pointed at the halla, "but I am certain it will help." He slowly moved to the halla's side and spoke gently in its ear as he began to massage the creature's shoulders and neck. Within minutes, the halla visibly relaxed, and Elora's eyes brightened.

"Yes… that's it. She's calming down! That's it, love. Be calm. Tell me what troubles you." She laid her hand on the halla's forehead and began nodding. "I did not realize another halla was injured. This will allow me to prevent the illness from spreading to the entire herd." Elora stood and looked at the two companions. "Ma serannas – thank you. You have done my clan a great boon this day. I will always be grateful for your help."

Delia smiled warmly at the elf. "It is our pleasure. It is an honor to be able to help such a beautiful creature."

The halla began to nuzzle Zevran, who started laughing heartily. "I think I have a new fan… perhaps you shall have competition for my attentions, mi querida!"

They left the halla enclosure after wishing Elora well, and started to walk to the clan's main campfire. Zevran's expression seemed to grow more serious with every step until he put his hand on Delia's arm and looked her in the eye.

"Let us sit for a moment, my dear. I would like to speak to you alone."

She nodded in agreement, and they sat together on a log at the edge of the forest. Zevran looked at her sadly before beginning to speak.

"Delia, I was wondering what your plans are for me. I gave you my word, that I am your man, but what of when all of this is over? I would only be in your way. You and… Alistair… you are very… close. I don't think I should remain."

She looked at him in surprise. "You want to leave me? I… I had no idea."

"It is simply a matter of reality, mi querida. I live my life taking pleasure as I am able. I must admit, I would prefer to take my pleasure with you; however fate has seen fit to provide your Templar to you. Perhaps I should seek my fortune elsewhere."

"I can't imagine not having you here, with us. You are my friend, Zev." She took his hand in hers, and he looked at her sadly.

"Ah, but therein lies the problem, my dear. To you, I am merely a friend. To me, you could be more… so much more. I believe it may be best for both of us if I were to leave."

"No, Zev, you are wrong about one thing. You are not _merely_ a friend; you are as close to me as a brother. In many ways, you are even closer. I trust you – I have faith in you. If you should leave, I would miss you terribly. However, you are always free to go if you truly feel that is necessary. I wish you would stay… I need you."

He raised his eyebrow. "Why, do you have need of an assassin? You have others to protect you… another to touch your heart…"

She put her finger to his lips to silence him. "You touch my heart too, Zev… just not the way you wish to. Please think about what I am saying to you. I want you to stay with us. I care for you, more than words can say. You have been a major reason why I have been able to heal after losing Dairren. If you wish to leave, we will not stop you, but please think about staying. I truly want you to stay."

Zevran stood and offered his hand to her. "I shall consider what you have said. It is… difficult to watch your relationship with Alistair when it is something that I wish to have for myself. For now, I would like time alone. Please excuse me, my dear." He walked away from her, leaving her shaken and feeling more alone than she had since the days after Highever.

_Elvish translations:_

_aneth ara: a friendly greeting_

_dareth shiral: farewell_

_falon: friend_


	46. Chapter 46

Chapter 46: Pain

Delia walked back to the field where her companions had their campfire and searched for her father. She was upset to have learned how deeply Zevran felt for her and how much those feelings hurt him, and she needed something resembling normal, for a change of pace. Trent was taking care of the horses, giving them some extra attention since they had the extra time. He was checking their shoes when she found him, and when he noticed her he smiled brightly.

"Delia! How have things been going with the infirmary? I didn't have a chance to speak to you before you left this morning."

She walked up to him as he straightened up and threw her arms around him, burying her face in his shoulder. Trent was surprised – he still wasn't used to her knowing he was her father and still wasn't comfortable with his newfound place in her life. He gently put his arms around her as he noticed she was crying.

"What's wrong? Maker… did someone hurt you?"

She looked up at him and wiped her tears away. "No… actually I hurt someone without meaning to. I feel terrible and don't know what to do."

She told Trent about her conversation with Zevran. Trent sat down on a log next to her and put his arm around her shoulder.

"He is a good man, but you can't force yourself to feel what you don't feel. I can understand why he would want to leave. Believe me… it wasn't easy for me to be in the Bann's employ and watch the way he treated your mother. There were many days when I wanted to run away, but I knew she needed me there even if it was from a distance." He looked up to the sky and frowned. "It was more than difficult to be that close to the woman I loved and not be able to be with her. I barely could even speak to her. If he is to stay, he needs to be able to find his own reason to be here. You can't be responsible one way or another."

"I understand, but I do care about him. He's important to me, just as everyone in this camp is important to me. However, Zevran is special to me. I hate being the reason why he is in such pain."

Trent did his best to comfort his daughter, but knew in his heart there wasn't anything he could do. Morrigan prepared lunch, and the group settled around the fire to eat. Zevran, however, didn't show up for the meal.

Once Delia finished eating, she brought Dusty with her to check on the sick elves. She made her rounds with Lanaya and made note of which elves seemed to be getting worse. At least the healing poultices seemed to be slowing the progression of the curse, which pleased both her and the keeper's second.

Delia and Lanaya spent some time preparing more remedies, teaching each other about mixtures they learned in their own experiences and experimenting with mixing some of Delia's foreign herbs with Lanaya's brews to intensify their effectiveness. At one point, Lanaya placed the wrong ingredient into a potion, causing a loud "pop" which startled them both, leaving them both in a fit of giggles. Delia genuinely liked the elf, and it seemed like a strong friendship was beginning to grow.

When she left the aravel in the midafternoon, Delia decided to search out Sarel, the storyteller of the clan. It would be interesting to learn the clan's history, as each clan kept its own history through its stories. Delia had always enjoyed learning about the different clans in Antiva through their stories, and usually the clan's storytellers were outgoing and easy to talk to. She looked forward to hearing his tales and learning about Zathrian.

She found Sarel sitting at the clan's main campfire, telling stories to several hunters and children. He didn't seem pleased to have her join them, but after one of the hunters complained about his rudeness, he acquiesced. He asked Delia if she would like to hear a story, to which she readily agreed.

Sarel began to tell the tale of how the Dalish lost their homeland. The Tevinter Imperium had enslaved the elves, until they were freed by Andraste herself. She gave the Dalish a new home, The Dales, but the humans warred with the elves again because they wouldn't worship the Maker as the humans did. With contempt in his voice, he finished the story by saying this was the reason the Dalish were wanderers with no home of their own.

Even with the uncontrolled bitterness in his voice which she knew was directed at her, Delia was moved by his story.

"The history between our peoples is, indeed, tragic. There have been humans who have stood up for what was right, but there have been too few and they had too little power. All we can do it try to build bridges toward the future and learn from each other. I have been fortunate in my life to have studied for many years in Antiva. There, the elves are treated much better than here in Ferelden. I have had many teachers and friends who have been elves, and your culture and history are an integral part of our world. Would you permit me to share a story I learned from my Antivan elf friends?"

Sarel agreed, so Delia told a story of Shartan, the elf that fought alongside Andraste. Both the prophetess and Shartan were born to slavery, and although he didn't trust her when they first met, he fought alongside her. His feeling was the enemy of his enemy could be his friend, and despite his initial suspicion of the prophetess, Shartan developed a great love and respect for her. He was killed while defending her, staying true to her until the bitter end.

Sarel nodded. "You do seem to have a great understanding of our history, human. I find it curious that you have taken such an interest in my people. It makes me wonder if you have an ulterior motive."

"I understand why you would think that way, Sarel, but I actually am interested in all cultures. While I studied in Antiva, I learned not only about the Dalish, but the Antivans, the Orlesians, the Qunari, the Tevinter, and others. When you compare them, you can find many similarities."

Sarel raised his eyebrow in interest, and the two began a long discussion of cultures and religions. As their conversation became more and more intellectual and less of tales, most of the other elves wandered away. After a time, only one woman remained, sitting at the far edge of the circle.

Once the sun was getting low in the sky, Delia stood. "Unfortunately, I must take my leave, Sarel. I must tend to the sick before nightfall. Perhaps, if you have time, we could continue our discussion tomorrow? You are a most interesting conversationalist." She smiled softly at the elf.

Sarel smiled and bowed slightly to her. "You are as well, emma falon. You are nothing like the other humans I have met in the past. I would be most honored to spend time with you tomorrow. Actually, after you assist Lanaya with the sick, would you join me for dinner? I would certainly enjoy your company."

"Thank you, Sarel, I am flattered. I must decline, however, as my friends are expecting me and I'm certain they will worry. We will speak again tomorrow – I'll look forward to it. Until then, have a good night."

"Rest well, Delia."

She left the fire and walked to Lanaya's aravel. The two worked effortlessly together as they checked their patients and administered the proper remedies. Delia spent extra time speaking to the elves she tended, and even the grumpiest of the people were warming to her. When Lanaya noticed the human yawning over and over, she teasingly shooed her back to her camp for some rest. Delia returned to her group almost reluctantly, worried about what Zevran would do.

She needn't have worried, as the elf was nowhere to be found. Delia ate her dinner with Trent and Dusty, and then turned in for the night. Before she went to sleep she took out the rose Alistair had given to her and kissed it lightly. She missed him terribly and said a prayer to the Maker that he and his group would return safely soon. Once she lay her head down, she fell into a sound sleep quickly.

In the morning she woke with the sun, as was her normal routine. As she started her morning practice routine with Dusty watching, the elven woman who had stayed throughout her conversation with Sarel approached her.

"Andaran atish'an, Delia. I was sent by Sarel to ask if you would like to accompany us to some ancient ruins that exist just outside of camp. He thought you might be interested in seeing them, as there are carvings in ancient languages that you might be able to translate."

"I would be very interested in seeing them, but perhaps it would be better if we were to go later, after I have tended to the sick. Please tell him I will meet him later at the campfire."

The elf looked worried. "No, I'm sorry, that will not do. Sarel has… responsibilities later and will not be available. Please come with me now."

Delia was unsure of what to do. The others weren't awake yet, so she couldn't tell them where she was going, but her curiosity screamed at her to go. Whistling to Dusty, Delia walked to the elf.

"Alright, let's go now. I will have to hurry, however. Lanaya will be expecting me."

The elf nodded and led the way down a narrow path. They walked for a longer distance than Delia expected, but finally she saw a clearing ahead of them. As they entered the clearing, the elf seemed to stumble and rolled to one side. Delia stepped forward to help her, and found her leg was in a trap! As she tried to release her foot, the elf suddenly pulled her bow in front of her and used an arrow to pin the mabari in place.

As Delia continued to struggle, she tried to remain facing the elf as the woman circled her with her bow at the ready.

"You dare come into our clan and try to infiltrate? You shemlens are all alike – you simply want to take whatever you want, and I _will not_ permit you to take Sarel, do you hear me? You shems nearly destroyed him once; it will not happen again!"

"I have no idea what you are talking about! What exactly is it that you think I have done?" Delia was trying to rein in her panic, but she worried about the injured mabari as she struggled for her own freedom.

"Sarel was married to my sister until a shemlen captured her. He tortured and raped her, and our hunters found her broken body tossed off the side of a cliff. It took _years_ for Sarel to recover, and I will not allow you to worm your way into his heart. It isn't right. You deserve _nothing_, and I will prevent you from destroying him and my clan."

"I assure you, I mean no one in your clan any harm. I simply want to help!"

"Help? There is nothing we need from you, shem." As the woman started to draw her bow, there was a sudden flash of metal and she found herself disarmed – the string of her bow neatly cut by the blade of a throwing knife.

Delia watched helplessly as Zevran quickly attacked the woman, swiftly knocking her unconscious and tying her up. As soon as he was convinced the elf was no longer a threat, he walked toward Delia.

"Tsk, tsk… it seems that trouble follows you everywhere, my dear. You really should try to make sure you have your Zevran at your side before you decide to take a stroll in the woods." He smiled at her luridly before he continued. "Should you enjoy being trapped in this way, I can think of many ways that are far less painful."

He leaned down and released her foot from the trap. As he stood back up, she threw her arms around his neck. "Zev… thank you again. I don't know what I would do without you."

She suddenly realized the mabari was injured and tried to walk to him, but her ankle was twisted in the trap and she couldn't walk on it. Zevran quickly carried her to the dog's side and helped her administer a healing poultice. Lucky for Dusty, his wound was actually minor, even though the shot had been very effective in trapping him.

Zevran looked at the mabari seriously. "My friend, I ask you to remain here and guard our prisoner until I can return with others. I must carry Delia back to camp to have Morrigan attend to her ankle. Are you alright with that?"

Dusty answered him with a bark, and then he pointed his front leg at the elven prisoner and growled. "Yes, my friend. Keep her alive and well, and I will return shortly." Zevran turned his attention to Delia. "As for you, my dear, you must accept my carrying you. It would not be good for that beautiful ankle of yours to allow it to swell any larger."

She tried to protest, but Zevran simply swept her up and swiftly carried her back to the camp. Trent saw them as soon as they emerged from the tree line, and he ran to help. Zevran gently set Delia down outside of Morrigan's tent, and the mage immediately shooed the men away and tended to Delia's ankle.

Trent led Zevran to the fire and handed him some breakfast after asking Sten to get help from Lanaya. After Zevran explained what had happened, Trent looked warmly at the assassin and put his hand on his shoulder.

"Thank you, my son. I don't know what we would do without you. You have a way of just… knowing when trouble is brewing."

Zevran looked at the warrior with a look of bewilderment. "Pardon me, but I do not believe I have ever been addressed as… my son before. Why would you say such a thing to me?"

Trent smiled at Zevran warmly. "You are very much like a member of my family, Zevran." He added with a chuckle, "And I _am_ old enough to be your father. It just seemed… natural to call you that. I hope you don't mind."

Zevran smiled. "No, I don't mind at all. It is just… unfamiliar."

Trent nodded. "Delia has spoken to me quite a bit about you. She feels closer to you than most everyone here and truly feels as if you are her brother. I guess I've come to believe that she is right – you should be her brother, which would make me your father, if you don't mind the self-appointed title."

"I have never been a part of a family before. I am… honored."

As he finished his sentence, several elven hunters approached and explained Lanaya had sent them to retrieve the imprisoned elf. Zevran excused himself to lead them to the elf, and once they returned to the camp Delia had been healed and had eaten breakfast. She walked with Zevran and the hunters with the prisoner and Dusty to Anaya's aravel to discuss the morning's events.

Lanaya was waiting for them, a look of confusion on her face. "I looked everywhere for Zathrian, but he is nowhere in the camp. I am not sure what to do with Garalda, for she has broken our laws and must be brought to justice."

Zevran cleared his throat. "Delia, my dear, it seems from Garalda's story that she was severely injured by humans in her life. Do you not feel it might be best for all involved to have pity on her?"

The elven woman hissed at him. "I do not need your pity, flat ear. And I definitely do not need the pity of a shem. If you weren't a traitor to your own people, I would have had my revenge."

Delia looked at her sadly. "And what kind of revenge would you have had? I never did any harm to your people, and so by killing me you would hurt not only my own people, but the people here who I have tried to help."

Lanaya looked angrily at Garalda. "This woman not only has tried to help us, but has saved the lives of many with the potions and poultices she has taught to me. She helped to calm the halla that Elora had such fears about, and from what Saren tells me she had enlightened him to stories of our people from other lands. Delia has been a friend to us, and you shame us with your actions. You will be locked into Zathrian's aravel until he returns and can dole out your punishment."

The hunters took her away, and Lanaya looked sadly at her new friend. "I am truly sorry, emma falon. This should never have happened."

Delia put her hand on Lanaya's shoulder. "It is not your fault. Garalda's actions are her own. I am saddened that her heart is so hardened, but I understand her pain. Come, let us get to work. I would rather focus on something positive than continue to relive this incident."

Both women seemed relieved to get back to work and fell back into their easy routine. Zevran watched as the two worked side by side, and it wasn't long before they put him to work as well. Lanaya seemed to watch him intently, and every once in a while he caught her eye and would earn a shy smile. Perhaps his charms were still intact after all!

_Elvish translations:_

_emma falon: my friend_

_Andaran atish'an: a formal greeting_


	47. Chapter 47

Chapter 47: Healing

Delia cheerfully took care of the ill elves, and even Galien seemed to brighten as she tended to him. Lanaya couldn't help but notice that Delia's friendly disposition was working its charms on her clan mates, and it made her happy to know that there were indeed good humans in the world. She didn't think there was one member of the clan who hadn't had a bad experience with a human, and it was refreshing to have one as gracious as Delia among them.

Lanaya found her own mind to be troubled. Zathrian was missing. The keeper was not one to wander away from the clan, and she wanted his comforting presence desperately. What should she do with Garalda? In all her years, Lanaya had never known one of her own clan to attempt a murder. She knew that hatred for humans ran deep among them, but even though she knew humans had been killed in the past by members of the clan, there were always reasons. The humans had always attacked the elves first, and their deaths had been simply a defensive measure. Delia had not given the elves any reason to attack her. As a matter of fact, she was still aiding the elves despite the poor treatment she had received from many of them.

It was obvious to Lanaya the deep respect the human had for the elves. She was truly interested in their lore, even sharing information she had learned of elves from other lands. It was refreshing to have a human holding their culture in such esteem. And then there was Delia's friend, the elf from Antiva. Zevran was highly respected by Delia, and Lanaya could see the respect was mutual. Delia had told Lanaya briefly about Zevran's life, and the fact that she was helping him to be free touched Lanaya's heart.

Zevran himself was a puzzle. He was incredibly handsome, and his accent made him quite… intriguing. Lanaya found she was glancing at him quite a bit, and was embarrassed when he caught her stare and winked at her. She wished the wardens would stay with her clan longer, if only to have the opportunity to get to know the Antivan better. Quietly sighing to herself, she tried to concentrate on her potions. It proved to be extra difficult when she suddenly felt someone's warm breath on her neck.

"Ah, my dear, you seem to be tense. Perhaps an Antivan massage would help you to relax." Zevran put his hands on her shoulders, his touch giving her a feeling much like a jolt of lightning.

Lanaya eased out of his grasp and turned to face him. Smiling shyly, she responded, "Um… perhaps later. Right now I have to attend to my friends."

He smiled luridly and when he spoke, it almost sounded like a purr. "As you wish, emma lath."

Delia walked over to Lanaya and elbowed her gently. "Beware of Zev; he can charm the pants off an ogre." She chuckled, earning a frown from Zevran.

"You make that sound like a bad thing, my dear Delia. Of course, there is no possible to reason to wish for such a thing from an ogre. As for the same from you," he purred into Lanaya's ear, "I could think of many reasons…"

Delia playfully hit him on his arm. "Down, Zev let her finish her work." As she laughed at him, Lanaya chuckled softly.

"Perhaps we could… talk… later, Zevran. I would very much like to learn more about you." She smiled shyly.

She walked back to the circle of cots with Zevran's eyes following her every movement.

"I see Lanaya has captured your interest?" Delia teased.

"I must say, she is quite an interesting woman, mi hermana. She is strong and resourceful, much like you." He smiled warmly at her. "Perhaps I can learn something from my time here."

"'Mi hermana.' I like that." Delia gave Zevran a warm hug. "I hope everything works out as you would like, mi hermano."

Delia walked back to help with the healing poultices and before long she and Lanaya finished tending to everyone. She excused herself, deciding to go back to her own tent for a while. As she walked to her group's campfire, she laughed to herself thinking of the pile of socks she noticed when she had woken that morning. Alistair had taken her offer to darn his socks seriously, and left nearly every sock he owned for her to restore. When she arrived at her tent and looked closely at the threadbare socks she laughed aloud. Alistair certainly was a lucky man – she certainly wouldn't do this much work for just anyone!

Before she started working on his repairs, she decided to listen to the growls of her stomach first. She walked out to the fire to find whatever Sten had cooked for their lunch. It seemed he had been learning from the elves as well, as he had made a delicious stew with some sweet pancakes cooked on a hot, flat rock. Delia ladled a portion of stew and walked over to where Trent sat, cleaning his armor.

She sat with him and they talked at length about the morning's events. Trent was amused to hear about Zevran's flirtatious behavior with Lanaya, and was happy that the impish elf had recovered and was back to normal. After Delia finished her meal, she brought her sewing out to work next to her father. He raised his eyebrow when he saw her mending men's socks, but she just shrugged her shoulders and laughed. They worked on their respective tasks until midafternoon when Delia excused herself to return to aid Lanaya.

When she arrived at Lanaya's aravel, the elf had an astounded look on her face.

"Delia, come with me. You have to see this with your own eyes."

Delia followed Lanaya to the makeshift infirmary. What she saw amazed her. Every elf was sitting up and looked healthy! Galien stood when he saw her and walked over to her, smiling.

"You did it! You healed us all!" He tentatively reached out and hugged her gently. "Delia, I can't think of you as a shemlen anymore. To me, you are as Dalish as I am."

Delia blushed. "I… thank you, Galien, but I cannot take the credit for this. All I did was help slow the pace of the curse – my friends must have found a way to break it." She looked at Lanaya and smiled broadly. "Perhaps that means they will be returning soon!"

Lanaya looked around at her people. "I believe we should plan a celebration. If you are all feeling well enough, I would like you to begin the preparations for a feast." She turned to Delia, "Tonight we shall have rest and exchange stories. Tomorrow we will gather our finest offerings to thank the Creators for their mercies and celebrate our good fortune."

Once the sun was gone for the night, the elves and Delia's companions gathered at the main campfire. Before the storyteller started to tell his tales, he took Delia aside to speak to her.

"My friend, I cannot apologize enough for Garalda's actions. I only hope you can find forgiveness for my clan."

Delia put her hand softly on his arm. "Sarel, Garalda's actions were hers and hers alone. I cannot blame anyone else here in the clan, and I understand that she did this out of her own pain. She must be responsible for her crime, but that doesn't mean that I can't have compassion for her. I hope she will learn that we actually have much in common, as I lost my family to malicious humans, just as she lost her sister and you your wife."

Sarel's eyes showed his pain. "How did you know? I don't remember telling you about Lerala."

"No, you didn't tell me, but Garalda told me how you found her. I can only imagine your pain, my friend. It must have been horrible for you."

He nodded sadly. "Yes, it was the worst time of my life. It took a long time for me to believe the Creators wanted me to live without her. Garalda never healed, and refused to accept when I was ready to move on with my life. Any time I tried to pursue another bonding Garalda would somehow interfere. Unfortunately, I believe this was simply another one of those times." He sighed, but looked at Delia with empathy. "And how did you lose your family? Forgive me if I am too forward…"

She held her hand up to stay his words. "No, I have no reason not to tell you. Warden Aeden's family and mine were very close, and I was visiting at his home along with my mother and brother. His father was betrayed by a very close friend, who took advantage of the Teryn's men being away from the castle to fight the battle at Ostagar. This… man… used the opportunity to send his own troops into the castle to kill everyone within. The Teryn, his wife, daughter in law and grandson, my mother and brother, as well as everyone else within the walls were systematically killed. Aeden and I escaped with the help of the Commander of the Grey Wardens, which is how we were both aligned with them."

Sarel's face reflected his understanding. "You have indeed suffered as we have. You have my deepest sympathy. Now I understand why you seem to grasp our lot in life far more than any other human." He smiled sadly at her. "In a way, we are cut from the same cloth. You have taught me a great deal, Delia. Know that you will always be a trusted friend here."

"Ma serannas, Sarel," she said with a slight bow. "Your clan will always have a special place in my heart as well."

They joined the rest of the clan at the fire and spent a jovial evening sharing stories. Delia watched the faces of the elves. Seeing their smiling faces made her heart sing. The laughter was contagious, and she truly enjoyed herself. However the sight that made her the happiest was seeing Zevran sitting next to Lanaya, her hand covering his as she looked into his eyes with a smile. Delia was happy, but a piece of her heart was missing. She wished that Alistair was at her side, and although she was enjoying the time at the fire, until he was with her she wouldn't be complete.

When Delia finally returned to the wardens' camp and entered her tent, she was feeling a pleasant exhaustion. As she crawled into her bedroll and Dusty lay at the tent entrance, she took a moment to pray to the Maker for the safety of the wardens and their friends. She hoped that tomorrow would grant her a return of her friends and her love, and she drifted off to sleep thinking of the feel of Alistair's arms around her.

_Elvish translations:_

_emma lath: my love_

_ma serannas: thank you_


	48. Chapter 48

Chapter 48: Reappearance

Morning seemed to arrive quickly for Delia, and the cold air made her hands feel numb as she practiced her stances. She noticed that Zevran was cooking breakfast, and her stomach growled in anticipation. As soon as she finished her workout she walked back to the fire and sat as her friend handed her a bowl of steaming porridge.

The two conversed easily as the rest of the camp started to awaken. Before long they were all sitting at the fire eating together, trying to stay warm. Frost covered the grass and the entire field seemed to be filled with crystals. As the sun rose higher in the sky the air warmed enough to make them reasonably comfortable. Since there were no more sick elves to care for, Delia was able to spend the morning helping care for the horses, repairing equipment and restocking her supply of local herbs.

She was just beginning to prepare their lunch when she heard two familiar women's voices. She turned around to see Leliana and Wynne walking toward her. Delia smiled at them as they came closer, but was surprised to not see the two wardens. When she asked the women where they were, Wynne explained that Zathrian had met them in the werewolves lair, deep in the Brecilian Forest.

It turned out that he was the one responsible for creating the curse in the first place, as revenge against a group of humans who had killed his family. He was inspired to end the curse because of the way Delia had worked tirelessly to help his people. She shamed him into a realization that his own unending need for retribution had led to the suffering of his clan. Zathrian had to end his own life, along with the spirit he named Witherfang, to end the curse and save both his people and the descendants of the humans who had caused him his own pain.

The Dalish custom was to return their dead to the earth, burying their corpses and then planting a tree above. The wardens knew the elves needed to give their proper final respects to someone as important as their keeper, so they created a stretcher to bring his body home. Aeden and Alistair were taking the body directly to Lanaya before they did anything else, knowing how important the task was to show the Dalish the deep respect they had for their culture and religion.

Delia was sad to hear the news of Zathrian's death and left the two women to finish preparing lunch in order to see Lanaya. She hurried to Lanaya's aravel where she found Aeden speaking to the new keeper and Sarel. Alistair was nowhere in sight, and Delia sighed softly before she joined her friends.

As Delia approached Lanaya, the elves face turned to her, filled with grief. Delia gave the woman a hug in support, knowing Lanaya had been like a daughter to Zathrian.

"I'm so sorry, emma falon. My heart is with you in your grief." Delia looked into Lanaya's face and saw not only the woman's sorrow, but a determination.

"Thank you, my friend. We have much to do this afternoon, as we must give Zathrian the rest he has earned after his long life." She frowned in sadness as she took her friend's hand. "I know you would want to be a part of the ceremony, but I must ask you and your group to give us time to grieve as a clan. Please stay away while we bury him. There are those among my clan who would not understand that you grieve alongside us, and it might damage the delicate strands of friendship you have worked so hard to weave."

Delia hugged her again. "Of course, Lanaya. We will respect your wishes. Perhaps you would like Zevran to be there? He could represent us, and at the same time his presence might be of comfort to you?"

The elf stood back and wiped tears from her eyes. "I would like that… very much in fact. He and I have an… understanding."

Aeden raised his eyebrow at Delia, who simply gave him a look that told him they would speak of it later. "Then we'll leave you for now, my friends. We will meet at the end of the day, yes?"

Sarel nodded. "Please have your friends join us at the main campfire for our celebration. We will celebrate Zathrian's life, Lanaya's elevation to keeper, and the end of the werewolf curse. Although it is very sad to lose someone as important as Zathrian, his accomplishments must be commemorated. We have much to thank the Creators for." He smiled sadly at Lanaya and took her hand. "Come, Lanaya. We have a great deal to do. Please excuse us."

The elves walked away, leaving Delia alone with Aeden. "Where's Alistair? Wynne and Leliana told me he was with you."

Aeden smiled and softly laughed. "Oh, I see how it is. Not even a 'welcome back, Aeden. I missed you my brother.' No, it's 'where's Alistair? He's the only one of the lot of you that matters...'"

Delia punched him in the arm with a teasing smile aimed at him. "There's your welcome back. Although I did miss you too, even if you don't seem to believe that." She gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "If your own ego has been stroked enough, would you please tell me where the other warden has disappeared to?"

Aeden bent down and kissed her cheek. "He said something about errands he needed to do before he went back to our camp area. I bet he's back there, looking for you!"

She flashed a smile at him before quickly turning and starting to run back. Thinking better of it, she turned back, gave him another hug and then spoke once more before she ran off. "Thank you – see you back at camp."

Aeden chuckled as he watched her disappear and decided to head back to the group as well. On his way he saw Varathorn, the elves' master craftsman, and decided to see if he might be able to trade for some new equipment.

"Varathorn, it is good to see you again," he said with a friendly smile.

The elder elf looked up at him and returned his smile. "Yes, I am very glad to see you as well. Thank you, by the way. Alistair brought over the supply of ironwood you found in the forest. My people are forever in your debt. You have done so many wonderful things for us. It's hard to believe you are truly humans!" Varathorn laughed good-humoredly.

"Ah, so that was the errand Alistair mentioned earlier. For some reason he was very anxious to see you."

Varathorn nodded knowingly. "Yes, your friend had a special order placed before you went into the forest." He smiled at Aeden and waggled his finger at him. "Don't give me that look, Alistair swore me to secrecy. All I can tell you is it is a gift for someone very special to him."

Aeden laughed. "I'm sure it isn't for me then! I guess I'll have to wait and see what happens then." He gave the elf a good natured slap on the back. "I'd like to see what equipment you have available for trade, my friend. If you have time and don't mind."

"Anything I can do to help you, warden." He led Aeden into his aravel to show him the items he had available.

As Delia ran back toward their camp she noticed Zevran walking toward her with a glint in his eye. She ran up to him and put a hand on his shoulder while she tried to catch her breath.

"Ah, my dear, it is such a pleasure to have you searching for me in such a hurry. I always knew you would come around," he teased her mercilessly. "Alas, there is another lovely woman I have already promised to meet with, so you will have to wait your turn."

She laughed at him. "Oh, well then, it is a shame, but I actually have a message for you from her." Her mood suddenly became more serious. "I don't know if you already know, but Alistair, Aeden, Wynne and Leliana are back from the forest. Unfortunately, Zathrian had to give his own life in order to end the curse, so the wardens carried his body back to Lanaya. They are preparing for his burial, and Lanaya would really like your support. I asked if you could attend as the representative for the wardens, and she agreed. Do you have any problem with that?"

The assassin looked distressed. "No, I have no problem with that. Lanaya has told me a great deal of her relationship with Zathrian, and I am certain it is most difficult for her at this time. I would be honored to represent the Grey Wardens, especially since it will allow me to be at her side." He looked at Delia, a small grin appearing. "She is quite an interesting woman, as you know. I will take great pride in providing her with whatever… comfort I am able."

Delia narrowed her eyes at him and punched him in the arm. "Now isn't the time for your lechery. She is the keeper now, and has to be strong for the entire clan. Make certain you behave yourself!"

He clutched at his heart in mock horror. "Mi hermana, you wound me so. I understand exactly what she needs from me in public. Anything else I can provide for her _privately_ I would be more than happy to oblige." His smile grew wider. "But for now, I must be the companion of the Grey Wardens, representing the interests of all of Ferelden. Not bad for someone like myself, no? I will see you later, mi querida."

He walked away toward Lanaya's aravel, leaving Delia smiling and shaking her head to his retreating form. She turned back to continue on the path to her group's camp. It felt like months since she had seen Alistair, and every moment delayed seemed to be hours. Finally she reached the top of the trail and started to look around for Alistair.

Wynne and Leliana were talking to Morrigan over their lunch at the fire. Sten sat outside his tent, polishing his sword. As her eyes scoured the camp, Trent was nowhere to be seen either. Maybe he was working with the horses and Alistair was with him?

Delia walked swiftly to the horses' enclosure. Sure enough, Trent's smiling face showed above the backs of the equines, which were huddled together for warmth. Standing to his side was Alistair. Trent seemed to point toward her and Alistair turned his head in her direction. As his eyes met hers, he broke into a huge smile. Trent said something to him, and he nodded and started to push his way out of the horses.

As soon as he was out of the enclosure, he ran to Delia and grabbed her into a bear hug, twirling her around to the sound of her giggles. Once he set her back onto her feet, she reached up and pulled his head down to her, finally being able to relish the feel of his lips against hers once again.


	49. Chapter 49

Chapter 49: Celebrations

Delia and Alistair spent the entire afternoon simply talking to each other, explaining everything that had happened while they were apart. Alistair was proud of the way Delia had earned the elves' respect and friendship as well as her honest and giving heart. She proved to him more and more what a special woman she was. Delia was amazed at his stories of the werewolves as well as the demons they encountered in the forest. Her favorite story was about their discovery of an ancient oak tree that not only spoke, but in rhyme! She hoped they might have time someday to search the tree out once again so that she could see it with her own eyes.

Alistair couldn't remember an afternoon that was more pleasant. There were no chores that needed doing, no one to be fighting, and he was able to simply spend time with the woman he had grown to love. Quite possibly the best thing he learned was that Delia had actually taken the time to darn his socks! It was obvious to him that there was no other woman in the world as wonderful as his Delia, and he was a very lucky man. The afternoon passed by faster than he would have expected, and the sun was falling low in the sky before he knew it.

Zevran returned to the camp to gather his friends for the evening celebration. He led the way to the elven campfire, each individual excited in anticipation of what the festivities would entail. As they grew closer to the central fire, the sound of laughter could be heard above the din of conversation.

The elves had a great feast prepared. Roasted venison and boar meat sizzled on fires, and they brought out casks of their own beers made from the roots of birch and sassafras trees. The members of the clan had already gathered around the fire. Children ran around playing games, and the adults enjoyed each other's company. After the meal was served, Sarel told stories about the elves history and traditions. Delia and Alistair sat spellbound while he weaved his stories. Sarel asked Delia to share some stories as well, and she happily obliged. Most of the elves hadn't heard any of the stories she shared from other countries, and they were intrigued by the history they were able to learn that had been lost to them for so many centuries.

After they shared stories, several elves brought out musical instruments. Before long people were dancing. Sarel asked Delia to dance with him and he taught her several of their traditional dances. Lanaya taught Zevran dances as well, and before long Delia and Zevran were sharing the dances with their friends. Other elves started to ask members of the wardens' group to learn their dances as well, and the humans shared their folk dances with the clan in return. It seemed that for that night, at the very least, the line drawn between the elves and the humans was erased.

Alistair was sitting on a log, watching everyone else dance. He loved seeing the smile on Delia's face as she was whisked around by the men she danced with. Dancing wasn't something he was particularly good at, and he avoided dancing with anyone. His luck ran out when Delia herself pulled him up.

"Come on, Alistair. It's time you got in on the fun." She smiled broadly at him, and he found he couldn't resist her.

"Your desire is my command," he replied sheepishly. "Just remember that I have feet that are trained for combat, not dance. I apologize in advance for the brutalities your feet will suffer from mine."

She laughed at him. "You'll be fine. After all, you have me here to teach you!"

With that, they joined in with the dancing. Alistair found that he was actually having a wonderful time dancing with Delia. They were quite a dashing couple, and he was able to follow her steps far more easily than he had anticipated. After dancing to several lively tunes, the two were out of breath and decided to take a break. As they walked over to a log to sit, Alistair suddenly had a better idea.

"Delia, why don't we take a walk for a bit. It's very loud here, and I'd like a chance to relax."

She nodded and took his arm, allowing him to lead her away from the festivities. They walked in silence until they found themselves back at the wardens' fire. It was a chilly night, so Alistair stoked the fire and brought his blanket from his tent to wrap around them for warmth.

"The stars are beautiful tonight, aren't they Alistair?" She snuggled against his chest for warmth as she looked up at the sky."

He smiled at her. "Yes, but nowhere nearly as beautiful as you are." He kissed her gently, and then both of them looked back up at the stars.

Delia suddenly pointed up. "There, do you see that? A shooting star! Quickly, Alistair, you must make a wish."

"Make a wish? What for?"

She chuckled softly. "My grandfather used to take Dairren and me outside at night in late summer to watch the shooting stars. There is a week when you can see hundreds in a night. He would always tell us to make a wish on the first shooting start we would see each night."

"Alright then, I'll make a wish." He thought a moment, and then with a kiss to her ear he said seductively, "I'll tell you my wish if you tell me yours."

She laughed at him. "Silly man, you can't tell anyone what you wish for, or it will not come true."

He pulled her closer to him. "I promise I won't tell anyone else."

"No, Alistair, I won't tell you. I want my wish to come true." She loosened his grip so she could turn around and face him. "Not even you could pry it from me, but you are welcome to try." She grinned at him flirtatiously.

"Now that is a challenge I can't refuse." He pulled her closer and kissed her deeply.

As he broke the kiss, Alistair took a deep breath. "Delia, can we talk a minute?"

"Of course, my heart. Is there something troubling you?" Her face became worried.

"No, it's not anything bad, it's just… being near you makes me crazy. But I can't stand the thought of being without you, not… ever." He pulled back from her and ran his hand nervously through his hair. "Ever since I met you, nothing in my life has been the same as it was. You have changed me, for the better I might add." He smiled warmly at her, and took her hand in his.

"I've never felt this way about anyone before. I honestly feel the Maker had a reason for putting us here to face all this… darkness together. You are my shining light, my strength, my love." He looked at the ground for a moment, then kneeled in front of her and peered shyly back into her eyes. "What I am trying to say, rather poorly I might add, is… Delia Loren, would you do me the great honor of agreeing to… marry me?"

His eyes showed his nervousness, although they also showed his hope and longing. Delia was taken aback. This was unexpected, although certainly something she had hoped for. She looked at him nervously before answering him.

"I have one question for you, before I give you my answer to your proposal," she said, barely above a whisper.

He looked at her sadly. "Of course, I will answer any questions you have."

"Have you truly thought this through? What I mean is… you will have to stand at the Landsmeet. Do you think it is wise to be… attached… to me?"

He was surprised by her question. "I don't understand, what do you mean by that?"

Delia sighed and looked at the ground. "I am still the daughter of Bann Loren, one of the least respected men in all of Ferelden. What would the other nobles think of your being… married to his daughter? They might think he would be given more power, and they might align against you to protect themselves from him." She gave an involuntary shudder. "Or even worse: he might decide to cause trouble for you. I… couldn't bear for him to hurt you in any way."

He put his hand gently under her chin and lifted her gaze to his eyes. "Delia, I want to marry you, not your father. I swore to protect you, and I can actually do that better as your husband rather than your warden suitor. I believe you will be an asset to me at the Landsmeet rather than a hindrance. You are indeed noble born, and your grandfather still has many people who respected him who are nobles of the Landsmeet. We shall present you as his granddaughter, rather than your father's daughter. The nobles will, undoubtedly, understand that."

He gently kissed her forehead and then leaned his forehead against hers. "I love you, Delia. You fill a part of me that I never even knew was empty until you came into my life." He leaned back and looked directly into her eyes, smiling softly. "Please say yes."

She looked deeply into his eyes. "Is this truly what you want?"

He cupped his hand on the side of her face. "More than anything I have ever wanted."

Delia's face lit up with a huge smile. "Then my answer is yes. A thousand times yes!"

She threw herself into his arms with a combination of laughter and kisses peppered all over his face. He started laughing as well, matching her kisses one for one until he was finally able to capture her lips with his. They kissed more passionately than they ever had previously. Every emotion they had for each other revealed itself in that kiss – all the love, the relief, the happiness they had held in so as to not overwhelm each other just flooded out.

Finally they broke the kiss and just knelt there, holding each other tightly. Alistair ran his hand through her hair, feeling the silky softness of her tresses as he started to allow the reality sink in. "_She is going to actually be my wife! Thank you, Andraste, for allowing this to happen! I can't believe how lucky I am."_ Suddenly he realized he had one more thing he had to take care of. Pulling away from her, he reached into his bag, rummaging for the object of his search. Once his fingers located the object he pulled it out. It was wrapped in a small piece of cloth, and as he opened it he revealed a beautiful ring.

"I had Varathorn make this, especially for you. It's made from ironwood. The elves seem to be the only people who can fashion it into anything, but it's stronger than silverite. The stone is a ruby I found in Haven as we made our way to Andraste's ashes."

Alistair placed the ring on her finger and Delia couldn't believe the incredible craftsmanship. The sides of the band were engraved with intertwining roses. The ruby set on the top was the most exquisite deep red color, and the cut was rectangular, showing the perfection of its clarity. Delia was overwhelmed by its beauty.

"Did you design this yourself?" she asked her betrothed.

"Well, it was my idea, but I don't really have a creative bone in my body. Varathorn took my idea and made it beautiful." His lopsided grin reappeared. "I wanted to have something to remind you of the rose I gave to you. You are the one beautiful thing that has happened to me in my life, and I want you to know how wonderful you are every time you look at your ring."

The two simply held each other for some time before Delia spoke again.

"I just thought of something. It is traditional for the groom to ask the bride's father's permission before they are even betrothed. What should we do?"

He chuckled deeply. "I already took care of that. I spoke to your _real_ father earlier today. Actually, you found us just after we spoke about it. Oh, and he is very much in favor of our marriage, I might add."

Delia beamed at him. "So, it seems you've thought of everything."

"Well, I have been planning this for quite some time now." He kissed her softly. "So, what about the rest of our little camp? You know they're going to talk about this. I'm going to be teased mercilessly by Zevran and Morrigan at least."

"We'll handle them together, even if it means feeding them to the darkspawn." She looked at him with an evil smirk on her face, causing him to burst out laughing.

"See – I knew there was a reason why I love you so much." He took her hand and helped her to stand. "I suppose we should rejoin the others. I believe we have a bit more to add to the celebration!"

Delia took his arm and beamed up at him. "We certainly do, my love. We certainly do!"


	50. Chapter 50

**_Wow, this is actually my 50th chapter! This one is a bit short - kind of a filler, but I hope that everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving! _****_A special thank you to Warrose and Liso66 who have been reviewing pretty regularly. I am humbled and happy that you two and so many others are enjoying my story. _**

Chapter 50: Giving Thanks

Delia and Alistair walked arm in arm back to the elven festivities, both wearing smiles that seemed to stretch from ear to ear. As they arrived back at the fire, Trent noticed them and, seeing the two beaming, realized what had finally happened, and he smiled as well. He was thankful that his daughter would have the chance he never had – she would be able to marry the man she loved, and not have to submit to Ferelden politics. His thoughts went to the short time he held Landra as his own and the love they shared. She would be happy, and relieved, that her daughter would marry for love, and he knew she would like the blushing young man. They were good for each other.

Delia walked up to her father and, kissing him on his cheek, whispered, "Thank you for your approval. It means a lot… to both of us."

He smiled sadly and put his hand on her cheek. "Your mother would have been so happy for you. As long as I live, I promise to do my best to ensure your future with Alistair. He's a good man, and his feelings for you are honest. I'm glad that I have the good fortune to be a part of both of your lives."

Leliana suddenly seemed to appear at Delia's side from nowhere. "Soooo… you and Alistair were… missing for quite some time. Just what were you doing?" she winked at her friend. "Nothing I wouldn't do, I hope!"

Zevran had followed Leliana and stood behind her. "Now, Leliana, you and I both know that there is nothing that you wouldn't do." His lecherous smile gleamed as he looked over Alistair. "Just as there is _nothing_ that I wouldn't do…"

Alistair blushed from ear to ear before he started to stammer. "I'm… sorry, Zevran… but no matter what you think, there is no way…"

Delia put her left hand on his arm, purposely to show off her ring. "Now, Zev, I must ask you to please stop teasing _my betrothed_ so blatantly. I might have to fight you for his honor, and I wouldn't want to mar your pretty face."

Leliana's face lit up. "Oooooh, what a beautiful ring!" She grabbed Delia's hand from Alistair's arm and led her closer to a torch so that she could see the ring better. "I want to hear all about his proposal. Was it very romantic? For some reason, I picture your Templar being the hopeless romantic knight in shining armor, yes?"

Delia's happy laugh made Alistair relax. "Oh, Leli, it was very romantic. We saw a shooting star, and then he kneeled in front of me before he actually asked if I would do him the honor of becoming his wife. Can you imagine? Me giving him the honor of marrying him? He is the sweetest man in Ferelden, I swear." The two women giggled together as Leliana threw her arms around her friend into a tight hug.

"Delia, I am so very happy for both of you. Tell me about this ring. I have never seen anything like this before. It isn't the typical gold or silver… what is it?"

Delia blushed and she smiled at her groom to be. "Alistair had it made especially for me. Varathorn made it here, from ironbark. The ruby Alistair found in a crate inside the temple in Haven."

Leliana sighed. "That is very romantic, Alistair! Oh, I must write an epic love song about your betrothal. It is the kind of proposal women long for!"

Aeden walked over to find out what they were all laughing about and looking at. Seeing the ring on Delia's finger, he smiled and slapped Alistair on his back. "Congratulations, brother! I'm very happy for both of you." He kissed Delia on the cheek. "And my dear sister, if he ever does anything to hurt you, I will personally deal with him." He winked at her and grasped Alistair's hand in a warrior's handshake.

Alistair and Delia walked over to Lanaya and Sarel. They told their hosts their good news and Lanaya asked for the attention of everyone gathered so she could announce it to the clan and their newfound friends.

"My people, tonight we have gathered to celebrate. We have recently been blessed many times over, first with the visit of the Grey Wardens and their companions." She looked at Alistair and Delia and then looked out at their party members with a sincere smile. "They somehow found a way, with the help of our dear, departed Zathrian, to end the curse that would have destroyed our clan. I would like each of you to know that you shall always be welcome among us."

Lanaya's face went grim as she continued. "We also mourn the loss of our keeper, Zathrian. May his long life inspire us all to seek to live our lives to the fullest, and may the Creators receive his spirit with open arms. We will continue, in the tradition of our forefathers, to tell his story, so that his memory will continue to live within each of us."

"There is one more occasion I must mention at this time." Lanaya motioned for Alistair and Delia to stand next to her. "I was just informed that our friends, Warden Alistair and Delia, are to become bound to one another. My clan wishes you both peace and prosperity. May you remember our Vir Tanadahl, the Way of Three Trees: Vir Assan, the Way of the Arrow; Vir Bor'Assan, the Way of the Bow; and Vir Adahlen, the Way of the Forest. Fly straight and do not waver, bend but never break and together we are stronger than the one. The wisdom of the Vir Tanadahl will help you to be happy as a pairing, and make you strong."

As Alistair thanked the new keeper for her kind words, Delia looked out among the people gathered and caught the eye of Wynne. The mage had her arms crossed in front of her, and the look on her face betrayed her obvious displeasure. Delia didn't understand what would make the elder mage seem so distinctly unhappy, but she tried to ignore it the best she could. Instead, she looked back at her betrothed and smiled at him again. This night had been so beautiful and wonderful, and she didn't want anything to spoil it.

After Lanaya's speech, the clan started to disperse for the night. It wasn't long before the wardens and their traveling companions also left for their own tents. Alistair volunteered to take the first watch, and with a simple look at Delia found a willing partner. Aeden chuckled to himself as he went into his tent, intending to take the second watch with Leliana, who had volunteered.

Once the wardens' group members were quiet in their tents, Alistair and Delia sat next to each other at the fire. The entire evening seemed to be almost unreal to the two of them, and they chatted quietly about how each of them felt incredibly lucky. At least having the watch gave them both time to relax and allow their excitement to dissipate. When it was finally time for second watch to start, they were both ready to sleep. They knew the following day would be busy, as it would be time to begin their trip to Orzammar.

They woke Aeden and Leliana to take over the watch, then as their two bleary eyed friends started to walk the perimeter of the camp they said their goodnight to each other. As Alistair kissed Delia, her heart started to beat wildly yet again. Her happiness knew no boundaries, and she felt blessed to have this man in her life – a life that was having a fresh start once again, now that she was going to be married. They both had a great deal to be thankful for, and once she was alone in her tent she said a prayer to the Maker for all his blessings. As she fell asleep, all she saw in her mind's eye was a vision of her love and his adorable lopsided grin.


	51. Chapter 51

Chapter 51: Conflict

When the sunlight woke Delia in the morning, the first thing she did was look at her hand. Seeing Alistair's ring there made her smile with the realization that the previous night's events were not a dream after all! She smiled as she remembered how Alistair had proposed. She was incredibly happy, and felt that she truly had a purpose in her life being at his side.

Dressing quickly, she walked out of her tent into the frigid air and walked quickly to the edge of the camp to start her morning workout. Because it was so cold, she took her time stretching her muscles, making certain that her body was ready before she started her strength building exercises. Her back was turned to the camp, and she didn't notice immediately when Alistair walked over to join her. It wasn't until he was within 20 feet of her that she realized he was there, but with a smile on her face she ignored him for a moment until she felt his eyes on her and knew he would be leaning against a tree just watching her, wearing that grin of his that made her heart flutter. After giving him a few moments to just watch her, she couldn't contain herself any longer.

"Are you going to just gawk at me or are you going to practice with me?" she said softly as she turned around to meet his gaze.

He moved closer and put his arms around her waist. "There are _many_ things I'd like to practice with you. But, I suppose, sparring will have to do, _for now._"

Laughing at him, Delia pulled out of his embrace after kissing him on the cheek. They started to spar, making certain to have Delia practice strengthening her weaknesses especially well. When they finished, they walked together over to the fire for breakfast. Trent and Aeden were sitting there, enjoying a breakfast treat of fresh eggs given to the group by their Dalish friends. Trent spooned up heaping servings for both Alistair and Delia, and the two sat down to enjoy the warmth of the fire as well as their conversation.

It wasn't long before the rest of the camp was bustling, and as soon as everyone had breakfast they quickly packed and readied themselves to travel yet again. Once they were finished, the group walked slowly through the Dalish camp, leading the horses rather than riding. Lanaya and Sarel led their people to give the wardens' group a proper farewell. Many of the elves came forward, either to simply speak to their newfound friends or to give them a handshake or hug to wish them well. Delia left her horse with Trent before she walked to Lanaya. Giving her a warm hug, the two friends exchanged their personal goodbyes.

Lanaya spoke for her entire clan, wishing the wardens a safe and successful journey to Orzammar. She promised them that her clan would meet them when the time came to battle the darkspawn, and she presented them with a gift of two homing pigeons. The birds were trained to find the clan wherever they would be, which would be the easiest way for the wardens to call upon their aid. After she spoke to the entire group, Lanaya spoke to Delia, Alistair and Aeden separately. She presented a special globe to Aeden. If something happened to the birds, he needed to hold the globe in his hands and concentrate on her. A second globe in her aravel would glow, and she would know the wardens needed her and a messenger would be sent to Redcliffe to establish contact. Aeden thanked Lanaya and they started back to their horses.

As they mounted, Zevran walked to Lanaya and gave her a private farewell. He would miss the beautiful elf, but he knew in his heart they would meet again.

The wardens and their companions left the Dalish camp to the sound of their cheers. It warmed their hearts, knowing they had such good friends in the clan. The wardens were beginning to have more hope that their efforts to fight the Blight would be successful, and they began their journey to the Dwarven city feeling optimistic.

Aeden decided they would travel west to Lake Calenhad, then north around the eastern edge of the lake. He hoped to be able to rest along the way in an inn to allow the group a chance to bath properly and sleep in real beds for a change of pace.

The day was uneventful, and the group only stopped for a quick meal of jerky and dried fruit. They were able to make a great deal of progress before Aeden decided it was time to camp for the night. He found a glen off the road that was just large enough for their party, and they each set to work. After the camp itself was ready, Trent and Aeden took Dusty to hunt some small game. Before long there was a nice rabbit stew cooking over the fire. Zevran, Trent, Aeden and Alistair sat at the fire, sharing some Antivan brandy – a gift to Zev from Lanaya – and were talking amiably among themselves. Delia sat outside of her tent, mending one of her tunics, when Wynne walked over to her.

"May I join you, Delia?" the mage asked.

"Of course, Wynne. I would love some company." She smiled warmly at Wynne as she motioned for her to sit.

The mage sat slowly and appeared to be ill at ease. Delia watched her with concern.

"Are you alright, Wynne? I know you have not been feeling your best. Alistair has been very worried about you."

Wynne smiled with a soft chuckle. "Yes, the boy worries too much at times. I assure you, I am fine. There is something I wished to talk to you about, though. I've been watching your relationship progress with Alistair, and I have some… concerns."

"Oh?" Delia said with surprise. "What seems to be the problem?"

"I believe the two of you are making a grave mistake. It was… bad enough that you were spending so much time together that you seemed to be joined at the hip, so to speak, but becoming betrothed? Have you no thought of duty?"

Delia frowned. "What do you mean? We think of duty every day."

Wynne put her hand to her forehead and rubbed. "I mean to say that love is inevitably selfish. It will cause you to put the other first above your duty. Have you thought what it will do to Alistair? He is a very nice young man, and I do not want to see him hurt."

"Hurt? Do you really believe I would hurt him?" Her eyes were wide in surprise.

"Yes, I do. He must remain focused on the task in front of him. Alistair must not only fight this Blight, but he must stand as king to unite Ferelden. Being… attached to you will indeed hurt him in the grand scheme of things. He may not take risks he may need to in order to avoid hurting you. Your mere presence may cause him trouble at the Landsmeet because of who your father is. And what happens when you grow tired of him… when the novelty of a new love wears off? The pain you will cause him when you abandon him may destroy him."

Delia was visibly upset. "Why would you ever think that I would abandon him? I _love_ him."

Wynne was irritated. "Yes, yes, but he has never been in love with anyone before and has far less experience with relationships than you. He cannot afford…"

"I have never been in love with anyone before either," she snapped. "Actually, since I met him at Ostagar I believe he has become only more confident and self-assured. As for my family lineage causing him trouble at the Landsmeet, I actually mentioned that to him when he proposed to me and he believes that by focusing more on my relationship to my grandfather it could be an advantage. As for my hurting him, either of us could be killed at any moment. Either of us would be devastated in that event, but that is our reality. We both feel that it is better to find some semblance of happiness, if even for only a moment, than to have none at all. I know better than anyone at this camp what abandoning Alistair would do to him, and I would never_ willingly _leave his side. Alistair knows that, just as I know he would never leave mine."

Wynne shook her head. "I thought you would listen to reason. Instead, I come to find you are a foolish child, who simply wants to play a game. But this is not a game we are playing. Lives are at stake… the entire country is at stake. You must let him go to do his duty. He cannot afford to be distracted by you."

Wynne stood and smoothed her robe. "Think about what I have said. I hope you will understand and see reason." She walked away, leaving Delia in tears.

Delia set down her sewing and ran toward the horses. She needed to be away from camp, from Wynne in particular. How could this woman be so uncaring? Delia entered the horses' enclosure and found her bay mare. Burying her face in the horse's neck, she sobbed as quietly as she could. She hoped no one had noticed her departure from the rest of the camp, but of course, she was unlucky.

"Delia? Love, what's wrong?" Alistair came behind her and put his hands on her waist.

Delia turned around and threw her arms around his neck, burying her face into his chest. "It's nothing, really… just a conversation I had with Wynne."

He pushed her just far enough from him so he could look into her eyes. "What in the Maker's name did she say to you, to get you so upset?"

"She feels that it is selfish for me to be betrothed to you, that I am playing games with your love for me and that I will hurt you. My parentage will hurt you in the Landsmeet. She thinks that you are some sort of novelty to me and that I will abandon you." Her eyes showed her great pain at that last sentence, and she placed her hand on his cheek. "I will never abandon you, Alistair. I will never leave your side unless fate forces me in some way. I love you and only you… there has never been anyone else, nor will there ever be."

He held back his anger at the mage that wanted to explode from his chest and instead kissed her gently on her forehead. "Delia, I love you and only you. You are the only woman I could possibly ever want or need. Don't listen to Wynne. She means well, but…"

"But there are things she said that make sense. You have to attend to your duty… to Ferelden. I can't impede on that. Maybe she's right. Maybe we shouldn't marry…"

He grasped her shoulders firmly. "Don't say that. You give me strength, Delia. I believe the Maker himself sent you to me. How else can you explain all the coincidences that brought us together? I honestly don't believe I can be an effective king without you at my side. I'm going to speak to Wynne. She needs to keep her nose out of our business."

He gave her a gentle kiss, and then walked briskly toward Wynne's tent. Delia stayed with the horses, taking the time to stroke her horse's neck to calm herself. Before long the sound of Alistair's raised voice carried across the glen. He was, in no uncertain terms, telling Wynne to keep her opinions about his duty to herself. He knew full well everything he was expected to do for his country, and he also knew what he needed to accomplish it all. One of the most important things in that regard was having the people he could trust at his side, whether that was Aeden in charge of the wardens or Delia as his wife.

Every member of the party took notice to what he was saying to the elder mage. They couldn't help it, since he was commanding and adamant in his beliefs. Not a one of them had ever seen him behaving like a leader – maybe even a king, but he earned a great deal of respect from them all. When he was finished berating the mage, she apologized before he walked away. Delia saw him as he came closer to her, and she met him halfway, allowing him to enfold her in his arms.

"Delia, no one will stand in our way. I need you to be my wife. I could never trust any other woman as I trust you, and I know that you always have my back. Neither Wynne nor anyone else has a say in my choices, or yours for that matter. You told me once that everyone is out for themselves. Well… I think it's high time that I am out for myself too. If it is selfish for me to want you to marry me, then I will be selfish."

He led her back to the campfire, and they sat with Aeden and Trent. Both men nodded their approval to Alistair as he joined them, but the evening was marred by the tension in the air. Wynne took her meal in her tent, as did most of their group. Delia hoped friction would pass quickly, as she didn't want any bad feelings to exist among her friends. She took her leave of the men early, fitfully trying to sleep. It seemed to take hours before she finally slipped into a light sleep, but she hoped that the morning would bring perspective to everyone involved with their conflict.


	52. Chapter 52

Chapter 52: His View

_**This is a retelling of chapter 51 from Alistair's perspective. Thanks, Liso66! After your review, I had to do this! **_

Although the day was relatively easy, it was long. The group had said their goodbyes to everyone at the Dalish camp which had seemed almost interminable, but necessary. Alistair realized the Dalish were very important allies in the fight against the Blight, and it was very important that the bonds formed during their stay remained strong. When they finally mounted and started the day's ride, Aeden kept the group moving for as long as he could, wanting to go as far as possible now that the days were getting shorter.

When Aeden finally decided to set up camp for the night, Alistair was relieved. He was tired, and he wanted to be able to relax. It was difficult to talk to anyone when they were riding so hard, and he wanted to be able to talk to Delia. He couldn't believe how lucky he was now that he was actually betrothed to the woman he loved! He helped set up the camp while Aeden took Trent and Dusty hunting. A large fire was soon blazing warmly and he decided he could finally sit.

Aeden and Trent returned to the camp with several rabbits that they quickly dressed and started in a stew. As it cooked, Zevran joined them and brought a bottle of Antivan brandy gifted to him by the Dalish keeper, Lanaya. The men were enjoying the feel of the strong alcohol in their mouths while they joked among themselves. Alistair felt peaceful. It was nice to relax, sharing a drink with his friends, and Delia wasn't far away. She was sitting outside of her tent, mending one of her tunics. Alistair watched her as she rhythmically moved the needle, mesmerized that what was such an ordinary task seemed so extraordinary when Delia was doing it, when he noticed Wynne walk over to her.

Wynne took a seat with Delia after his love had obviously invited her to join her. The two seemed to happily start conversing, and he looked back to his friends at the fire. After several minutes he looked back toward Delia, but her face was no longer calm. Instead her face radiated confusion and pain, and Wynne looked harsh and angry.

Suddenly he watched as Wynne shook her head and said something with a firm and irritated tone. She stood and smoothed her robe, and then as she said something else in an indignant manner she walked away. Delia was obviously crying as she set her mending down and ran off. Alistair wasn't the only one at the fire to notice, and as he looked at his companions, they all nodded at him.

"You'd best find out what's going on, lad." Trent motioned toward the retreating Delia. "She needs you."

Alistair nodded and jogged after Delia. He followed her to the horse enclosure, where he found her sobbing into her horse's neck trying to stifle her sobs.

"Delia? Love, what's wrong?" Alistair came behind her and put his hands on her waist.

Delia turned around and threw her arms around his neck, burying her face into his chest. "It's nothing, really… just a conversation I had with Wynne."

He pushed her just far enough from him so he could look into her eyes. "What in the Maker's name did she say to you, to get you so upset?"

"She feels that it is selfish for me to be betrothed to you, that I am playing games with your love for me and that I will hurt you. My parentage will hurt you in the Landsmeet. She thinks that you are some sort of novelty to me and that I will abandon you." Her eyes showed her great pain at that last sentence, and she placed her hand on his cheek. "I will never abandon you, Alistair. I will never leave your side unless fate forces me in some way. I love you and only you… there has never been anyone else, nor will there ever be."

He held back his anger at the mage that wanted to explode from his chest and instead kissed her gently on her forehead. "Delia, I love you and only you. You are the only woman I could possibly ever want or need. Don't listen to Wynne. She means well, but…"

"But there are things she said that make sense. You have to attend to your duty… to Ferelden. I can't impede on that. Maybe she's right. Maybe we shouldn't marry…"

He grasped her shoulders firmly. "Don't say that. You give me strength, Delia. I believe the Maker himself sent you to me. How else can you explain all the coincidences that brought us together? I honestly don't believe I can be an effective king without you at my side. I'm going to speak to Wynne. She needs to keep her nose out of our business."

He gave her a gentle kiss, and then walked briskly toward Wynne's tent. He needed to formulate in his head exactly what he would say to the elder mage before he arrived there. After all, he respected the woman a great deal, and she had become almost a surrogate grandmother to him. On the other hand, she had no right to interfere with his life. It seemed as if everyone thought he was some sort of blithering idiot who couldn't make any decisions for himself!

He arrived at Wynne's tent to find her sitting outside organizing her herbs.

"Wynne, may I speak with you for a moment?"

She looked up at him and smiled warmly. "Of course, Alistair. Please take a seat."

He sat across from her and ran his hand through his hair nervously. After taking a deep breath, he spoke from his heart.

"I understand you had a… talk with Delia, about our betrothal. May I ask what it is you said to her that made her so upset?"

Wynne shrugged. "She had no reason to be upset. I merely told her my opinion and asked her to think about exactly what it is the two of you are doing."

Alistair stiffened. "Yes, you told her that I am some sort of a _novelty_ to her and she will inevitably leave me once I have lost my luster, so to speak."

"Well, yes. She has quite a bit more experience with people than you do, and your naiveté will get you hurt." She said it with a certainty that made him all the angrier.

"Yes, Wynne, I am more aware than _anyone_ in this little camp of ours just how naïve I truly am. It isn't like I _chose_ to be presented with the life I have lived, but we all have to make do with whatever life the Maker has given to us. Actually, because of how _incredibly_ gullible I am I would think you would be the first to agree that having someone like Delia on my side would be an incredible asset. Not only does she actually _care_ for me, but she has a gift that would help me see who I can trust and who I can't. Now why didn't I think of what a shrewd woman she is to take advantage of someone as simple as I am? Oh, perhaps it's because she has nearly as little experience as I do when it comes to the opposite sex? Perhaps because we've been through so much together already? Perhaps because I truly believe that she loves me, unlike anyone else who has ever been a part of my life?"

Wynne frowned. She wasn't used to being spoken to in such a sarcastic and cutting manner. "You are making it sound as if I have no respect for you, Alistair. I assure you…"

"No, Wynne, you have made it _perfectly_ clear that you believe I do not know what is best for me. Let me now make _myself_ perfectly clear. Before I asked Delia to marry me, I spent a great deal of time thinking about what would be best for _me_. Yes, it was an incredibly selfish decision on my part. I cannot see myself living my life without her. However, most of the reasons in favor of her being my wife are because of the duty I have for Ferelden. Once I am put forward as king, I realize there will be certain… expectations of me."

Alistair stood up and began to pace in front of the mage, his hands entwined behind his back. "As king, I will be expected to marry a Fereldan noble woman. Delia _is_ a Fereldan noble woman. Yes, her father is despised, but her grandfather was a hero in the War of Orlais and was greatly respected. Along with taking a wife, I will be expected to… procreate. Not an easy topic for me, as you can understand," he blurted as he blushed, "but to be able to… perform that duty would be far easier with a woman I love and trust. To put any old noble woman at my side as my wife I would always worry about whether she would be looking to betray me in one of any number of ways. There have been queens who have killed their husbands, after all. Delia loves me and would protect me. She has already proven that."

"I will need to have trusted advisors. As you have reminded me _so well_, I have led a very sheltered life. I will need advisors who know politics, religion and culture. Delia has been educated in all of those things, and already has proven herself invaluable in forging such a strong alliance with the Dalish. Even _you_ must realize that it was because of her diligence working with the sick in the elven camp that she was able to forge individual friendships and win over the trust of the Dalish people. It wasn't because _we_ helped Zathrian end the curse by allowing his life to end. Who can I trust more – Delia, who loves me and wants me to be successful, or some random advisor who I won't know any better than a random speck of dust?"

He faced her then, and stood with his back straight and his eyes full of determination. "I will need Delia at my side, not only because _she_ makes _me_ stronger, but because she will make _Ferelden _stronger and safer. The two people I trust the most in this world are Delia and Aeden, and with him in charge of the wardens and watching over the king's security and Delia at my side as my most trusted advisor, I will be able to be the king Ferelden needs so desperately. From now on, if you have any concerns about my decisions, I _expect_ you will come directly _to me_. Otherwise, keep _your opinions_ to yourself, especially when it comes to my performance of my duties. Do I make myself clear?"

Wynne looked up at him, shocked that the young man would speak to her in such a forceful manner. "Yes, Alistair. You make yourself perfectly clear. I… apologize, to both you and Delia. I didn't realize how much thought you actually put into your decision. I am impressed."

He nodded slightly. "Good. You can apologize to Delia yourself. You owe that to her. Now, if you will excuse me…" He turned on his heel and walked purposefully back to Delia.

Delia saw him as he came closer to her, and she met him halfway, allowing him to enfold her in his arms.

"Delia, no one will stand in our way. I need you to be my wife. I could never trust any other woman as I trust you, and I know that you always have my back. Neither Wynne nor anyone else has a say in my choices, or yours for that matter. You told me once that everyone is out for themselves. Well… I think it's high time that I am out for myself too. If it is selfish for me to want you to marry me, then I will be selfish."

He led her back to the campfire, and they sat with Aeden and Trent. Both men nodded their approval to Alistair as he joined them. Wynne took her meal in her tent, as did most of their group. Delia seemed to be distressed by the tension in the air, and she took her leave of the men early. Aeden and Trent tried to keep the conversation light in order to help their friend unwind, but it was clear that he was worried about Delia and wouldn't be able to completely settle down until he knew all would be fine among his companions. As he took his leave of the two men and entered his own tent for the night, he lay in his bedroll, looking at the ceiling as he prayed to the Maker he had handled the mage firmly enough, but without causing irreparable harm to the warm, near-family atmosphere he had nearly taken for granted.


	53. Chapter 53

Chapter 53: Warmth

When the sun's rays woke Delia, she felt miserable. She didn't sleep well at all, and her body protested against any movement. It took all of her self-discipline to get out of her bedroll, dress and leave her tent to practice her battle stances. As she started her daily workout, her mind tried to concentrate on her physical movements rather than on the past day's conversation with Wynne, but it was to no avail.

With every movement Delia made, Wynne's voice crept into her head. _"Love is inevitably selfish…" _ Delia tried to refocus and changed stances. She moved her arms, practicing the precise movements while she concentrated on each subtle muscle movement, but her mind kept slipping away. "_You must let him go to do his duty. He cannot afford to be distracted by you."_ With an angry snarl, Delia threw up her hands in frustration. She simply could not concentrate, so instead she looked to see who was awake. Sten was at the fire with Dusty, so Delia whistled to the mabari. As he bounded to her side, she scratched him behind his ears.

"Let's take a short walk, OK? I need a… distraction."

The mabari woofed softly in agreement, and the two headed off around the perimeter of the camp. Delia knew she shouldn't go far, so she stayed within sight. Dusty amused her by sniffing out a few partridges and making them take flight. It was as good a diversion as any, and the dog's pleased smile helped her feel better, if only for a moment.

Selfish. That word kept charging back into her thoughts. Her mind started to analyze her recent life, and she was finding she was indeed very selfish. Why did she try to join the Grey Wardens? It wasn't because she felt she could serve them, it was because she wanted protection. Wynne was right – she had been only thinking of herself. Delia frowned and tears began to form in her eyes. She had never thought her desire for protection was selfish, but she really didn't bring any real skill to the wardens in return. Her gift would only help in limited situations, and didn't help at all when fighting. What possible use could she be when they battled the Blight? She was beginning to feel useless.

"_Love is inevitably selfish…"_ Why did she love Alistair? Because he loved her and made her feel wanted and safe. Even when she was fighting at his side, she felt as though his shield would always protect her and that they were invincible as long as they were together. The question she couldn't answer was whether she actually benefitted him in any way. No matter how hard she worked at her fighting skills, she was still incredibly weak when compared to her companions. Yes, she had only improved during their travels, but that wasn't difficult to accomplish when you started with no skill at all.

Then there was her ancestry. Bann Godefryd Loren had a way of shifting his alliances almost as often as the wind would change course. Delia didn't think there was a single noble in all of Ferelden who would trust her father, and his disrepute would undoubtedly be cast upon her as well. Wouldn't it be selfish of her to expect Alistair to be burdened with her father's shadow?

She looked over at the campfire and noticed Trent was awake and sitting there, warming his hands near the flames. He looked up and saw her watching him, and he stood to walk toward her. His smile faded as he saw the miserable look on Delia's face, causing him to move more briskly.

"Good morning, Delia. What's the matter? You should be happy as a lark today, but it's obvious that isn't the case." He led her to a nearby boulder and sat down with her.

She looked at the man who actually gave her life and sighed. "I just can't help but think about what Wynne said to me. I think she's right."

Trent scratched his head. "Whatever did she say to you to upset you so much?"

"Well, there were several things, but the one I can't get out of my mind is that marrying Alistair would be selfish. I would be a burden to him. She also feels that it is inevitable that I will hurt him." She looked down at her feet as a tear escaped down her cheek. "I don't want to hurt him, but I also don't want to lose him." She looked into Trent's face sadly. "What should I do? Should I leave him for his own sake?"

Trent put his arm around her shoulder. Immediately he thought how odd it was that this was the first time he had ever done something so… fatherly… for his own daughter. He thought for a moment about how best to word his thoughts before he cleared his throat.

"Delia, everything in life is selfish. The simple act of eating is selfish as some sort of creature or plant must perish, yet we must do it to live. Sometimes we must be selfish in order to survive. You may feel that marrying Alistair is selfish because you actually _wish_ to be married to him because of your love for him, but it is also a means of sacrificing a part of yourself as well. You will be dedicating yourself to the health and happiness of the two of you as a combined unit. There are many things you do for Alistair that I don't think you are even aware of."

"What do you mean?" She looked confused.

"You give him an inner strength that he could never have if he didn't have you to love. I have seen the change in him, from acting like an overgrown boy to a real man. He is learning how to make difficult decisions, plan strategies, and work toward his goals. He has a purpose, and not just to defeat the Blight. He wants to defeat the Blight for _himself_, not just for his people, so that he can have a future with you. That is a form of selfishness that is true, but _that_ selfishness will benefit the entire country."

"The two of you are good for each other; you complement each other in your strengths and weaknesses. That is the beginning of a strong alliance. Every alliance is selfish as each party has their own agenda, but the alliance gives both more strength and power than they had individually." He turned toward her and placed his hands on either side of her face. "Love is a powerful motivation. Happiness brings strength and courage. Alistair needs you because _you_ make him stronger. Yes, that is selfish, and yet if he is strong, he will be a strong king for Ferelden, and our country needs a powerful and just leader. You will have to sacrifice your own freedom in order to help him be the king he needs to be."

Trent's face grew wistful. "One thing that I know with all my heart is that having that true love, even for a moment, is worth every pain you will ever face. You both need to seize the opportunity to _selfishly_ enjoy every second you can together."

Delia moved a hand to his cheek. "You are thinking about my mother, aren't you?"

He smiled softly at her and looked at the sky. "Yes. I wouldn't trade one second of the time we had together for anything. Losing her was more than painful, watching her with that… louse of a man was horrendous, but my memories have always kept me going." He sighed and smiled at her. "I was glad to be able to keep her safe from Loren, even if I couldn't have her as my own. Listen to your father," he continued with a soft chuckle, "and marry Alistair. It's the best gift either of you will ever have."

Delia threw her arms around Trent's neck, catching him a bit by surprise. "Thank you, _Father_. I wish things had been different, and I had you there where you should have been my entire life, at my mother's side. At least I have you here now."

As she released him, he motioned to the camp. "Let's go find your betrothed, Delia. I think having time to talk to each other will ease both of your minds."

The two walked back to the fire, finding Aeden and Alistair at the fire cooking breakfast. As they drew close to the wardens, Trent cleared his throat.

"You aren't allowing him anywhere near the food, are you Aeden? We don't need to travel on upset stomachs!" He winked at Delia.

"He-ey… I'm not _that_ bad a cook. Well… not anymore at least. I've learned a few things from my lovely wife-to-be!" Alistair stood and embraced Delia, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Yes, Trent, I think he has the basics of oatmeal and porridge down, but don't trust him with stew… not ever." Aeden shuddered theatrically, making Alistair punch him lightly on the arm before he offered a seat to Delia and they both sat at the fire.

They all conversed amiably, teasing each other as the oatmeal cooked. Their other companions slowly emerged from their tents, the cold air making it difficult to leave the comfort of their warm bedrolls. Wynne was the last to join them at the fire, and since Delia had finished her meal she took the opportunity to pack her tent. When she finished getting her belongings ready for the day's travels, she made her way to the horses to help Trent with the tack.

The group started to move as soon as everyone was ready. Although the weather started out agreeably, a mist developed as they drew closer to Lake Calenhad. They were all cold and damp, and Aeden decided it might be a good night to find a nice inn and treat them all to warm, dry beds for the night. They approached a small town in midafternoon, so Aeden decided to sacrifice the distance they might have covered for warm baths and a good night's sleep.

The town was a small fishing village, and the inn was very small. Since the weather was growing colder, there weren't many travelers and the wardens' companions were the only people staying in the inn. Since there were only four rooms they put two people in each room with the exception of Trent, Sten and Zev sharing the largest room. Morrigan and Leliana had already decided that it wouldn't be good for anyone if Delia and Wynne shared a room, so Leliana shared the room with the elder mage and Morrigan with Delia.

Baths were drawn for each person, and when Delia submerged her body into the steaming water it felt as if all the stress from the previous day dissolved in the water. She cleaned herself with the soap Nattie had given to her back when her time with the Grey Wardens had just begun. Remembering the woman brought a smile to her face, and she remembered Nattie telling her how all young ladies needed some nice scented soap. Just the smell of the roses and lavender helped to relax her, and she felt as though baths were a luxury she would never take for granted ever again in her life!

Once the water cooled, Delia stepped out of the bath and dressed in her clean tunic and breeches, leaving the ones she had on earlier near the fire to dry. After she brushed out her hair she left the room to see which of her friends would be in the main room. As she reached the bottom of the stairs and looked around she found that luck was not working in her favor. The only person downstairs was Wynne.

The mage had, of course, seen her and nodded an acknowledgement, so Delia felt compelled to join her near the fire. As she sat in the chair next to Wynne, the mage reached out and took Delia's hand in hers.

"Delia, I owe you an apology. I never intended to sound so harsh when I spoke to you yesterday, and I should have minded my own business. Please know that it was never my intention to hurt you in any way."

Delia nodded and spoke quietly. "I… understand, Wynne. You only want what's best for both me and Alistair."

Wynne nodded in reply. "Yes, but it is deeper than that. I don't want you to suffer the same heartbreak I did."

Delia looked at the mage in surprise. "What do you mean?"

Wynne sighed. "I was once in love." Delia looked at her with a raised eyebrow, earning a chuckle from the mage. "Oh, don't be so surprised. I wasn't always this old, you know." Her gaze turned to the fire, and she seemed to be looking far away. "I fell in love with a man I was… forbidden to love. We tried to be discreet, and thought we kept our affair a secret, but the Maker has a way of proving that you can't hide forever."

Delia put her other hand on top of Wynne's. "What happened?"

"Well, I became pregnant. Mages are not allowed to keep any children they have, so my son was taken from me the day he was born. The First Enchanter, the one we had before Irving, was adamant about finding out who was the father. He had an idea about who my love was, and wanted to destroy him. I couldn't allow that to happen, so I refused to speak. Because I protected my love, I never was even permitted to see my child's face, or touch his hand. I only know he was a boy because my friend attended my labor and secretly told me about my son when we were alone."

Wynne looked into Delia's eyes. "My love never spoke to me again, except when forced to by circumstance, and his anger at never knowing his child destroyed whatever feelings he had for me. I was forced to watch as his love became loathing, and the only way I could survive the pain was to focus on my duty. It made me a better mage in the end, but I lost… myself along the way."

Delia squeezed Wynne's hand. "I understand. You don't want to see that happen to us."

Wynne shook her head. "I never want to see that happen to either of you. I care a great deal about you both, even if it is Alistair who calls me his surrogate grandmother." She chuckled at the thought of the warden's teasing. "It was almost more than I could bear at the time."

Delia looked directly into Wynne's eyes. "I know what Trent had to suffer through with my mother, and I believe him when he tells me that it was worth it to have his love for a short a time as he did. My love for Alistair isn't forbidden, and I will never willingly leave him. I don't believe he would ever leave me either. If the Maker has plans that involve one or both of us dying, we will have to be content in the knowledge that we had our happiness for as long as we were permitted. I have to trust that our friends will be there to help us both should the worst happen, but I have to have faith that the Maker wouldn't have brought us together if He didn't have a reason for it."

Wynne smiled gently at Delia. "So, do you forgive this old woman and her worries then?"

"Of course, Wynne. I am glad to have someone as wise as you to counsel me, even if you are wrong sometimes." Delia winked at the mage, who laughed aloud.

The two women hugged, and started to talk about herbs and potions. It wasn't long before other members of their party joined them and the conversation turned into stories about each of their previous adventures. When Alistair walked down the stairs and saw Delia and Wynne laughing together he smiled. He couldn't be happier that the two most important women in his life were back to being friends. As he joined his friends near the fireplace he kissed his betrothed before sitting on the floor in front of her. Leliana started to sing a song for the group, and Delia put her hand on Alistair's shoulder.

As he put his hand on top of hers, he couldn't help but feel he was the luckiest man in all of Ferelden. He had a group of friends he could trust and a woman who he loved at his side. Somehow, he knew in his heart that they would be able to accomplish anything they had to, as long as they all stuck together.


	54. Chapter 54

Chapter 54: Warden House

Aeden felt compelled to make up for lost time, so as soon as everyone was awake he pushed to get them underway. The weather was cooperating, at least for the time being, and he wanted to take advantage of it while it lasted. The sooner they made it to Orzammar, the better.

They traveled for several days uneventfully. The days were spent on horseback going as far as Aeden felt he could push without exhausting the animals. The nights were spent trying to stay warm. The group would amuse themselves with stories, songs, or good natured teasing allowing their bonds of friendship to deepen significantly. Aeden was very glad to see there was no animosity between any of them. They needed to trust each other when they never knew where the danger hid, and any bad feelings could easily translate to deaths.

Finally they reached the gates of Orzammar. There was a market outside the doors, and Leliana actually cooed in glee when she saw a stall of Orlesian silk fabrics. As Aeden tried to calm her excitement and tell her that she would, indeed, be able to visit the market later, he noticed several soldiers wearing the tabard of the King's Guard. They were arguing with the gatekeeper, who wouldn't allow them into the city.

One of the guards was furiously trying to get inside. "King Loghain demands the allegiance of the deshyr or lord or whatever you call them in your assembly! I am his appointed messenger."

Delia put her hand on Alistair's arm as he started to move forward. She knew that hearing Loghain referred to as the king more than upset him, but he couldn't act rashly.

As the dwarf continued to refuse entry to the soldiers, Aeden stepped up to the doors. He requested entrance to speak to the king, only to have the dwarf shake his head.

"Orzammar has no king. Endrin Aeducan returned to the stone not three weeks ago, sick over the loss of his sons. The Assembly has gone through a dozen votes without agreeing on a successor. If it is not settled soon, we risk a civil war."

Aeden nodded. "The Grey Wardens need their traditional dwarven allies."

Loghain's men were obviously revolted. "The Wardens killed King Cailan and nearly doomed Ferelden! They're sworn enemies of King Loghain!" As the dwarf looked at the documents Aeden presented to him and motioned for the wardens' group to enter, the warrior was shocked. "You're letting in a traitor? And a foreigner? In the name of King Loghain, I demand that you execute this… stain on the honor of Ferelden!"

Alistair stepped forward and blandly dismissed the soldiers. "Run to your false king. The dwarves will not hear him today."

As the soldier turned to leave, he spat on the ground. "You… you'll hear of this. King Loghain will see you quartered." They left in a huff, leaving the wardens chuckling.

"Wardens, you should go to the Warden House before you enter the city. There's a stable for your horses, and rooms available for your traveling companions."

"The Warden House?" Aeden's eyebrow rose questioningly. "What is that and where is it?"

"You'll find it just to the west of the market. It's just a house that's owned by the Grey Wardens and cared for by Weisshaupt itself. They keep it there as a base of operations. Best to keep that topside, especially when you humans like those horses. I can't imagine wanting to be on the back of one of those… things myself. Though, I guess you have the legs for it. Just saying..."

They walked westward past the market and found a small house that looked like a hunter's lodge. Aeden and Alistair went to the door and knocked. It was answered by a dwarven man who seemed to have a very cheerful disposition. They spoke for a minute, and then the man went back inside. He returned in a moment with a warm cloak and walked with the wardens to the rest of the group.

"The stables are around back. My name is Gorshep, and I am the keeper of the Warden House. You'll meet my wife inside. Her name is Deirdre, and our boy is Jessop. We're here to take care of anything you need while you are in Orzammar."

They led the horses to the stable. As they opened the door to the building, a dwarven boy ran out to help. The horses were quickly taken care of, and Gorshep led the wardens' party to the house as he left his son to feed and blanket the animals.

When they entered the house, Delia was surprised by the cheerful, homey feel of the house. They were greeted by Deirdre who seemed to be thrilled to have company in the house again.

"Please, come into the study. It's the warmest room, and I'm certain you'd all like some hot cider to warm your insides after traveling on a day like this, am I right?" She settled her guests into the room she called the study, which seemed to be more like a great room by anyone else's standards. The room was surprisingly cozy, even for its size. The fireplace was huge, and there were overstuffed chairs throughout the room. In the corner there was a blanket with a huge dog curled up. Delia walked over to the dog, intrigued by its appearance. It had long, gangly legs, and its fur was wiry and grey. The build was tall and lean, very different from the mabaris of Ferelden.

As she leaned down to the dog it raised its head and whined softly. Delia reached out and allowed the dog to sniff her hand. "Well, hello there! I've never met a dog like you before. You are very handsome."

Gorshep was suddenly in back of her, taking her by surprise. "I'd be a bit careful around Griffon there… he's a good enough dog, but ever since he lost his master he's been a bit off. Doesn't like being poked by people very much."

"His name is Griffon? What happened to his owner?" She scratched the dog behind his ears, earning a soft thud as the dog wagged his tail.

"He came to Orzammar for his Calling. Left the dog with us thinking my boy would get on with him, but Griffon has had nothing to do with him. We feed him and take care of him as well as we can, but these deer hounds tend to be one master kind of dogs… a lot like mabari that way."

"His owner went to his Calling? What is that?" Delia looked confused.

Aeden cleared his throat. "It's… a warden secret. Sorry, Delia, we can't give you any details, but I guess Griffon there is alone in the world. Deer hounds are from the Frostbacks, aren't they?"

Gorshep nodded. "Aye, they are mostly hunting dogs, but Griff here is trained as a warrior. Not as good for battling darkspawn as a mabari, but they are loyal, smart and pretty strong. I've never seen a dog run as fast as Griff here can. He's made himself as useful as he can, but he's not happy. He seems to like you though, Delia."

Delia looked at the dog's face. He almost looked as if he was smiling, and she smiled back at him. "You are a good dog, aren't you, Griffon? I hope the two of us can be friends."

The dog woofed softly in response, and then licked her hand gently.

"I've never seen him do that!" Deirdre said as she walked in with a tray of steaming mugs. "Looks like you have yourself a new friend there, Warden."

Delia chuckled as she stood and accepted a mug of cider from the woman. "I can always use more friends. He seems like a wonderful dog."

"The warden that left him here said he was. Griffon was the son of his favorite in his entire kennel. For some reason, Griffon wouldn't ever leave his side once he was whelped. We had to lock him up in a room when Konrad left for the Deep Roads. The poor dog wailed for days afterward. It was heartbreaking."

Delia looked sadly at Griffon. "So, my friend, you have lost the person who was most important to you, just like me. It seems like we have a lot in common." Griffon whined in reply and lay his head back down.

They all sat near the fireplace and enjoyed their cider as Aeden and Alistair made plans to enter the city. The two decided to take Wynne and Sten with them as they investigated what was actually going on now that the King was dead. They needed to find out who could authorize the assistance against the Blight Ferelden so desperately needed, and knowing that dwarven politics could be complicated it was decided they would try to keep as low a profile as possible. Delia was left in charge at the house, not that there would be much for her to do.

Since it was already late in the day, Aeden decided they would wait until the morning before they would enter the city. Deirdre assigned rooms to each of them, and Delia was delighted to learn they each would have their own room, even if they were somewhat small compared to the quarters she was used to from her previous life. The room she was given was decorated in warm green hues, with a colorful, flowery brocade spread on the bed. There were several paintings on the walls, each depicting colorful spring flowers. On the vanity there was a set of brushes as well as several types of soaps and fragrant oils. There was a window seat looking out over the mountains that looked like an inviting place to read a book. Deirdre explained that the room was set aside for the highest ranking woman warden of whatever group was staying with them, and she tried to make it as comfortable as possible.

Once she had settled her belongings in the room, Delia walked back downstairs to the study. It wasn't long before the entire party had rejoined her and Deirdre invited them all into the dining room. She had cooked roast pork for the group which was quite a treat after all the rabbit and partridge they had been eating! She served it with a medley of root vegetables and fresh baked bread with butter. There was plenty of wine available as well, for the wardens made certain to keep the favorite beverages of wardens from all over Thedas well supplied.

Sten was quite happy when after dinner she served them warm apple pie with slices of cheese. The Quinari warrior quite liked his sweets, and he showed a very uncharacteristic smile when he was given an entire pie all for himself! Alistair, on the other hand, was happy about the pie, but thrilled about the cheese! He teased Delia trying to steal her cheese as she would slap his hand away, both of them laughing uncontrollably.

After dinner, the group went back into the study to listen to more of Leliana's music and stories. Delia and Alistair took the opportunity to walk out to the stables to spend some time alone and were surprised when Griffon joined them. The presence of the dog was actually comforting to Delia, much like Dusty's presence always was, and she absentmindedly scratched Griffon behind his ears again.

"It looks like I'm going to have some competition for your affections, my love," Alistair teased.

"Competition? I'd be careful if I were you. Griffon has many advantages over you." She looked at him slyly."

"Oh? And what might those be?"

"He's cute and cuddly, and just look at his hair! Not a hair out of place, and it's quite a haircut if I do say so…"

Griffon looked at Alistair and barked happily, letting his tongue hang out the side of his mouth humorously.

"Look at that! He's sticking his tongue out at me!" Alistair laughed.

"That's because he knows he has the advantage!" Delia patted the dog, earning another soft woof.

Alistair looked at Griffon sternly. "Hey, not fair. I saw her first. She's already agreed to marry me. Did I mention that I'm also cute and cuddly and have great hair? And I can take care of my hair all by myself! Besides, she can't marry a dog…"

Delia put her arms around his neck. "No, I can't marry a dog, but you did tell me once you were raised by dogs, didn't you? Flying dogs, if I recall… Maybe Griffon here is a distant relative!"

Griffon took the opportunity to retch, as if the idea of Alistair being a relative made his stomach turn.

"Well, thanks a lot, Griffin. I see you and I will get along _wonderfully._" He reached down to pet the dog, who responded with an affectionate woof.

"I think he likes you, love. If nothing else, you can be happy that I will have yet another dashing warrior here to keep me safe while you are away tomorrow. This dashing warrior just dashes literally…"

Alistair laughed and kissed her. "I think you will be good for each other. I know it isn't easy when Aeden and I leave you behind. Griffin will be good company for you, and you seem to have affected him in a good way. From what Gorshep said, Griffon hasn't done very much since Konrad left." He looked down at the deer hound and scratched behind his ears as Delia had done. "Will you keep her safe for me, Griffon? I mean, she's not bad with her blades, but I know I'd feel much better with your nose on the job."

Griffon licked Alistair's hand and woofed softly. Delia felt a bond forming with the dog that was different than anything she had ever experienced before. Perhaps Griffon was meant to be her dog. She had never had any sort of pet before, and hoped that things would work out. It would be nice to have a furry companion of her own, and Griffon's presence helped her feel more secure. Again she was amazed at how coincidences seemed to work in her favor.

Delia and Alistair spent some more time simply holding each other before they decided they needed to get their sleep for the night. Alistair and Aeden needed to be well rested before they dealt with dwarven politics. They walked back into the Warden House hand in hand, with Griffon walking alongside Delia. Although she didn't look forward to being left behind again, Delia felt like she had her own job in front of her as she tried to earn Griffon's trust and give the war hound a new purpose in life.


	55. Chapter 55

Chapter 55: Intimidation

Morning seemed to arrive too quickly for Aeden. The bed was warm and comfortable, and the idea of getting out of it and trying to maneuver through dwarven politics was almost revolting. Ah, if only he could put off his responsibilities for a few more minutes of comfort! Alas, he knew that he truly had no choice in the matter, so he gritted his teeth against the chill he expected and threw the covers off. Happily, someone had stoked the fire without waking him, so the air in the room was comfortable.

He dressed and readied himself for his visit to Orzammar. If only he had listened to his history lessons better! The dwarves had a political system unlike any other in all of Thedas, and he worried about whether he would be able to negotiate it properly. Maybe he should bring Delia with him after all. She was the most educated of their party, but he remembered that the dwarves respected strength above intellect. Sten was the better choice in that regard. He was incredibly strong, and his height was nearly double that of a typical dwarf. They couldn't help but respect the Quinari.

Aeden walked downstairs to find most of his companions were already eating breakfast. Deirdre had cooked a marvelous breakfast of oatcakes with several types of jam. He hadn't had oatcakes for ages! Not since his Nan made them the previous winter… thinking of home made him sad. Knowing he couldn't show any weaknesses, he shook all thoughts of home from his head and sat down to enjoy his meal with Alistair, Delia and Trent.

The foursome chatted amiably while they ate. Aeden had grown fond of Trent, who had become almost a father figure to all the members of their group. There was something about the warrior that almost oozed wisdom and experience, and he never complained about doing any task put before him, no matter how menial. He felt that every job was important, and if Trent was the man doing it he would make certain it was done absolutely correctly. His attention to detail was actually an inspiration, and Aeden was very glad he had joined their group.

Once they finished eating, Aeden and Alistair found their cloaks before locating Sten and Wynne. Before they left for Orzammar, the wardens spoke to Delia about their plans for the day.

"My goal for today is to simply get a feel for what is going on in the city," Aeden declared. "I don't want to get in the middle of any political machinations."

Delia raised an eyebrow. "Wouldn't it be prudent then to take Zev or Leli with you? They are skilled at overhearing conversations and could gather more information for you than Sten or Wynne could."

"She has a good point, Aeden. If we are just getting information, I think we should bring Zev with us and give him leeway to listen in wherever he can." Alistair smiled at Delia. "See – I knew there was a good reason why we have you with us."

Delia retorted with her elbow in Alistair's ribs.

Aeden laughed. "Alright, yes, I think Zev should come with us. Should we leave Sten with you then?"

Delia nodded. "Sure. I could ask him to work with Griffon to see what skills he has. I doubt he would mind as he's grown rather fond of Dusty." She smiled at the mabari who was stretched in front of the fireplace. "He might enjoy being hound master for the day."

Aeden nodded. "OK, then Sten will stay. I'll go get Zev and I'll meet you and Wynne at the door in a few minutes."

As Aeden walked away, Alistair took Delia by the arm and pulled her into the foyer. Gently he pushed her into a corner and pulled her into his embrace. He put his chin on top of her head and smelled the scent of her soap as he smiled.

"I wish I could stay here with you today. You're a lot more fun than a bunch of angry dwarves."

Delia chuckled. "Well, I certainly hope I am! At least you can come home tonight."

He sighed as he tightened his hug. "I love the sound of that. Home… what a beautiful word."

Delia looked up into his eyes and kissed him softly. "Someday we'll have a real home, Alistair."

He smiled at her, the love he had for her shining from his eyes. "Wherever _you_ are _is_ home to me, Delia." He kissed her softly, feeling the fullness of her lips against his. As he released her, they heard Zevran clearing his throat.

"Tsk, tsk… the two of you never seem to remember to invite me to your little celebrations. What a pity…" Zevran leered at Alistair. "Just so that you know, my dear warden, I would like to make my home with you as well. Perhaps someday I will convince you to allow me to show you how happy I would make you."

Alistair looked as if he would be ill. "Zevran, I've told you time and time again, it will never happen between us. Why don't you tease Wynne for a change of pace? You haven't teased her about her magical bosom since we left the Dalish."

Zevran laughed heartily. "Perhaps I will, my friend. I do so love the look on her face when we speak of her bosom!"

Aeden and Wynne entered the foyer and the four put on their thick cloaks. It was snowing outside and the wind was fierce. Before they left, Aeden reiterated that Delia was in charge. She gave Aeden, Wynne and Zevran hugs as they walked out the door, saving one last kiss for her betrothed. After she closed the heavy wooden door behind them, Delia walked back to the study to speak to her remaining companions about what they would like to do during the day.

Sten agreed to put the dogs through a workout. Working Griffon alongside of Dusty would give him a better idea of what the deer hound knew and how he went about fighting. Morrigan wanted to make a fresh supply of potions while Leliana had repairs to make to her clothes. Trent expected to spend a good part of the day checking the horses and making certain their tack was in good repair. Gorshep told him that Jessop enjoyed cleaning saddles, especially when he was in the company of someone who could tell him a few stories, so Trent actually looked forward to the job. Shale was simply standing in the study near the fireplace. She seemed content to feel the heat of the fire against her stone and wasn't very talkative, so Delia let her be.

Since everyone was occupied, Delia decided to spend some time looking through the library. She hoped to find a book about dogs in order to better understand Griffon's breed. The library was on the western side of the study in a room that was most likely intended to be the true study of the house. It was lined with books of all types and seemed to be arranged by topics. Delia was somewhat shocked to find some books of a rather intimate nature, including "The Art of Passionate Love" by Brother Capria. She seemed to remember the book having been banned by the Chantry, and curiosity winning over reason she took the book from the shelf to read later in the privacy of her own room.

Finally she found a book titled "The Dogs of Thedas". She removed it from the shelf and made a quick trip to her room to put the first book into her pack. After reassuring herself that the book wouldn't be spotted by someone like Zevran who would use its presence to tease her mercilessly, Delia walked back to the study and sat in a very comfortable overstuffed chair near the fireplace.

As she searched for references to the deer hound she heard a strong knock on the front door. She heard Deirdre open the door and begin to argue with whoever was there. Delia put the book down and checked her weapons reflexively. The sound of angry footsteps came toward the study and suddenly the door burst open with several dwarves entering the room.

Deirdre hurried in behind them. "I'm sorry, Delia, but these… men are quite insistent of speaking to one of the wardens."

Delia stood and straightened her back, trying to look like her grandfather had when he dealt with the people of his realm. "And what is it that I can do for you _gentlemen._ We certainly were not expecting any company today."

A middle aged dwarvan man with a long, braided black beard walked forward. "Well, that's obvious. We've been expecting a messenger from Weisshaupt for months now and I can't say that we're pleased that you've chosen to ignore us."

"Might I ask who you are?" Delia raised her eyebrow at the man, who stammered his response.

"I… suppose I should introduce us. My name's Zoram. The man on my left is Kartal and on my right is Gimley. I am the tax collector for the surface dwarves here in the Orzammar Mercantile District. You Grey Wardens owe us for the taxes for the past year. From what I calculate," he took a scroll from his inside pocket and unrolled it, "you owe 15 gold sovereigns. It can be paid in gold or in bushels of crops. I do expect to receive payment _today_."

Delia looked the three men over. They were obviously merchants and not warriors of any kind, as their bodies lacked the strong muscles of men who spent their time with weapons. She paced in front of the fireplace, looking up as she heard more footsteps enter the room. Deirdre had located Sten and Trent, worrying about Delia in this situation, and the two men entered the room along with the two war hounds.

Delia nodded to the two warriors, signaling that they should remain at the door. They stood at attention, ready to jump to her defense. Finally she turned to the dwarves, glaring at them when she finally spoke.

"And just exactly what do you think Weisshaupt will think when they learn that you have attempted to intimidate one of their recruits? Do not think that I am blind as to your purpose here. You have waited until the wardens left for the city before you approached, thinking that I would cower to you and your demands. My purpose here is not to pay you for anything. I was not sent by Weisshaupt, but I believe you already know that."

The dwarves fidgeted slightly, and Delia knew she was on the right track. "If, indeed, you are to be paid taxes as you say, that is between you and the Warden Commander of Weisshaupt. I assure you that when I send my report to him about our… accommodations here in Orzammar, he will not be pleased with your attempt to extort money from a recruit. Leave now and I will not sic the dogs on you to make you leave." Both dogs took the hint and growled menacingly.

Zoram did not look pleased, but he nodded in acknowledgement. "I suppose I will have to wait, but Weisshaupt had best pay up."

Delia glared at the man. "Then I suggest you send a messenger to Weisshaupt directly. Your business with them is none of my affair. Be gone, Zoram, and do not pester Gorshep, Deirdre or any other simple wardens that stay here. I will certainly include our… encounter with you in my report when I send my missive at the end of our mission."

The dwarves quickly left the house after walking quickly past the growling dogs. Trent and Sten added to the theatrics by placing their hands on the dogs' collars, making it look as if they were holding the dogs back. Once the dwarves were out of the house, Trent smiled broadly at Delia.

"Well played, Delia! You handled that like a proper Arl!"

Even Sten had a small smile for her. "You have done well, Kadan."

Delia smiled at her warriors. "Everything I said was true. Sometimes it is merely the way you say it that makes all the difference." She knelt in front of the two dogs, giving each a scratch behind their ears. "And you two, my brave boys, were absolutely perfect! I truly am blessed to have two wonderful war hounds at my back."

The two dogs woofed appreciatively. Gorshep and Deirdre walked back to the room, both looking relieved.

"Delia, Deirdre said you handled Zoram like a pro. I'm sorry I wasn't in the house to stop 'em." Gorshep looked worried.

"Don't worry, Gorshep. I think they should be leaving you alone for quite a while. Were they even telling the truth about the taxes?"

"Aye, we pay our taxes here, but it's my belief the wardens are paid up in full for the next year. I think they was just trying to take advantage of ye."

Deirdre took her husband's arm. "Why don't we all get ready for lunch? I have some nice soup cooking in the kitchen."

They settled into the dining room and before long Deirdre joined them with the soup and fresh bread loaves. As Morrigan and Leliana joined them the group fell into easy conversation. Delia hadn't had any soup as delicious as Deirdre's since she left her school in Antiva, and it brought back many happy memories.

She wondered how Alistair and Aeden were doing in the city. Hopefully they were learning what they needed to know quickly and would be back soon. For some reason she was feeling more anxious than usual with the two wardens away. Perhaps it was because of her encounter with Zoram, but she wanted to talk about it with the two men. Hopefully they would feel that she handled it well.

After lunch was finished, she returned to her book. There was a lot to learn about Griffon's breed, and she wanted to know as much as she could in order to make her new canine friend as comfortable as possible. One thing she already knew was that Griffon needed a new purpose. She hoped that the dog was beginning to see a new one, at her side.


	56. Chapter 56

Chapter 56: Education and Politics

The two wardens returned to Warden House along with Wynne and Zevran in time for dinner. As they shook the snow from their cloaks they were greeted by two very enthusiastic war hounds. Aeden was knocked over by Dusty as Griffin followed the mabari's lead by knocking over Alistair. As the two wardens tried without much luck to avoid the dogs' slurps the sound of the men's protests and laughs brought Delia into the foyer. Seeing the two men lying on the floor with the huge dogs standing on their chests sent her into a laughing fit.

"My two big, brave, wardens, taken down by a pair of mere puppies," she snickered. "At least they prove themselves to be good watch dogs!"

As Delia persuaded the dogs to release the men, Aeden hugged his mabari and chuckled. "What kind of training have you been giving the hounds today? How to kill a man in twenty licks?"

"Yes, the proper technique is an ancient secret, handed down from generation to generation of deer hounds. Griffon has been teaching Dusty all day. Are you impressed?" Delia smiled at the two men as Wynne and Zevran laughed from behind them.

Griffon looked up at Alistair and then to Aeden with his tongue hanging out of the side of his mouth. It made the dog look as if he was trying to imitate Alistair's lopsided grin, but adding his own doggy style to the facial expression.

Alistair laughed at the dogs and scratched Griffon behind his ears. "It is certainly a… unique way to greet someone." His eyes looked at Delia with an almost shameless lust. "I can think of a better greeting, however." He moved past the dog and pulled her into a passionate kiss.

Delia pushed away from him laughing heartily. "Unfortunately, Griffon has left you smelling like a wet dog! Why don't you four wash up before dinner? We'll meet you in the dining room. Deirdre has been cooking a venison roast that has smelled absolutely wonderful all afternoon!"

"All right, all right… I'll wash if I must, but maybe next time you won't let Griff perfume me." He kissed her on the cheek and followed Aeden upstairs to get ready for dinner.

Once they were all seated at the dining table, Deirdre served the meal. Delia didn't think she had ever tasted venison as succulent as the roast before them! It was served with roasted potatoes, candied carrots and fresh baked bread. After the main course was finished, Deirdre brought out two platters of cookies and hot tea for everyone. Sten looked at the round objects on the platters curiously.

"Kadan, what are these?"

Delia looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Haven't you ever seen cookies before, Sten?"

"Cookies… what an odd word. What are they?"

"They are best described as a kind of sweet bread. Try one – I'm certain you'll like it." She smiled at him gently.

Sten picked up a cookie and smelled it, then looked it over as if he was searching for something that might injure him. Gingerly he took a tiny nibble. His eyes slowly closed and a small smile crept across his face. After taking another huge bite from the cookie he looked at Delia with a smile.

"We do not have anything like this in Seheron. I must remedy this." Sten started to devour cookie after cookie, earning a frown from Aeden.

"Hey, Sten, save a few for the rest of us." Sadly he looked at the platter that was nearly emptied by the Qunari, which was the one closer to him.

Deirdre chuckled. "Now, don't you worry, warden. I have plenty more in the kitchen. I'm pleased he likes them so much!"

Aeden smiled at the dwarf. "Deirdre, you certainly must have been around a lot of wardens in your time. You are always ready for our huge appetites!"

"Why do you think they keep me on, love? I have a reputation to keep up with the folks in Weisshaupt, after all!"

After taking their fill of the tea and cookies, Aeden asked Alistair and Delia to join him in the library. After they were all in the room, Aeden closed the door behind him and motioned for the other two to sit near the fireplace.

"We have to talk about what we found out today and plan our next move." Aeden continued explaining the state they found the Orzammar Assembly in and the two people who were vying for the throne. "Harrowmount is the person King Aeducan himself wanted to replace him, but the king's son, Bhelen, insists he should inherit the throne. Neither man will meet with us personally, but wants us to perform certain tasks for them to earn their trust. Zevran felt we should align ourselves with the prince because he seems like a stronger force, but apparently he killed his brother and framed his other brother for the crime. The king was forced to send his second son into exile in the Deep Roads to battle darkspawn and he died knowing in his heart that Bhelen had betrayed him."

Delia frowned. "Why do we need to align with either side? Shouldn't we stay out of their politics?"

Aeden nodded. "I wish we could, but the Assembly will not help us without a king on the throne. It's up to the king to follow through on our treaty, so they won't touch it. The dwarves themselves are pretty much split down the middle over who to support, so somehow we have to tip the balance."

"So who do you feel we should support?" Delia looked worried. Dwarven politics was always such a touchy thing to deal with, and it would be much easier for the wardens if they could stay neutral.

Alistair looked very serious. "Well, we thought a lot about it while we were in the city. Bhelen's right hand man wanted us to serve some forged documents to a couple of nobles, trying to make Harrowmount look like a criminal, while Harrowmount's man wanted us to fight at the Proving Tournament in kind of a 'might makes it right' thing to earn the respect from more of the nobles. To be honest, even though Zev felt Bhelen would be a stronger king, neither of us felt right about supporting a man who set up his own brother for murder and continues to kill and frame others. We feel better about supporting Harrowmount, if only because King Aeducan himself wanted him to succeed him."

Aeden looked at Delia. "Before we made a decision, we wanted your input. You know more about the dwarves than either of us."

Delia nodded thoughtfully. "Unfortunately, I don't think you can have a right or a wrong decision here. Either man would be eligible to be put on the throne. I'd say to follow your instincts, if for no other reason that whatever hoops they want you to jump through won't be quite as loathsome."

"That's as good advice as any, I guess." Aeden sighed deeply and looked gloomily at Delia. "I'm afraid we will end up being asked to do more than just fight in this Proving. From what I am seeing of the dwarven culture, I have a feeling we won't get away so easily. I plan on being back here tomorrow night, but if for some reason we aren't, don't worry too much. If we aren't back by the following night, the next day you should take a full party into the city and see what you can learn at the Tapsters Tavern. The bartender, Corra, seems to have her ear in the middle of everything."

Alistair grinned at his friend teasingly. "It didn't hurt that she had her _eyes_ on _you_."

Delia raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Does that mean that my _brother_ might get involved with someone shorter than I am?"

"Maker, no!" Aeden's alarm made both Delia and Alistair laugh heartily. "I mean… she's a nice person and all, but I don't think she could possibly get rid of the stench of that… establishment."

Alistair looked at Delia with an unnaturally serious expression. "Oh, that is true, I give you that. Nothing like the smell of dwarf vomit to set the mood…"

"Sounds like a _marvelous_ place…" Delia rolled her eyes in amusement, causing Alistair to start guffawing. That caused Delia to start giggling as well, and suddenly neither one was able to stop!

Aeden cleared his throat. "Alright, back to tomorrow's plans…" He looked at his two friends who were both trying to stop laughing unsuccessfully and frowned at them. "Never mind… we'll go over it at breakfast. You two are completely worthless sometimes, did you know that?"

The two burst out hysterically laughing, holding their sides as they tried to contain themselves. Aeden just quietly stood and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him as he shook his head. _"Maker, they deserve each other!" _he thought to himself with a chuckle as he walked back to his own quarters.

Once Delia and Alistair finally stopped laughing he pulled her onto his lap. She leaned her head against his shoulder and enjoyed the feel of his arms around her waist with the warmth of the fire enfolding both of them.

"So, what did you do today besides teach the dogs how to attack with slobber?" Alistair asked while nuzzling her hair.

"Actually I spent a good deal of the day in here. I was looking for a book about dog breeds so I can understand Griffon better. I actually found a rather good one, along with another book that I think will be quite _interesting…_" She looked at Alistair teasingly. "It's in my room right now. Perhaps later I'll show it to you. Oh, but there were three visitors here today… a merchant dwarf named Zoram and two of his_ friends_. They wanted me to pay some sort of tax the wardens owe, but I sent him away, telling him he needed to deal directly with Weisshaupt."

Alistair raised his eyebrow and looked at her, trying to assess the situation. "We should find Aeden and then you can tell the both of us exactly what happened. After we talk to him, then maybe you can show me the book you found. You have my curiosity peaked."

The two stood up and Alistair led the way to Aeden's room. When they arrived, Alistair knocked on the door.

"Aeden, are you decent? Delia and I would like to speak to you about certain events that happened here today."

Aeden opened the door. He was dressed in a simple shirt and breeches. "I was just reading at the fire. Please, come in."

They took a seat near the fire and Delia told them both about what had happened earlier in the day with the dwarves. Aeden nodded and put his hand to his chin, stroking it absentmindedly as he listened to her story.

"From what you've told us, it sounds as though you handled everything beautifully. Not that it surprises me." Aeden smiled at Delia with warmth that radiated pride. "Well done, sister. You must have watched your grandfather often when he met with his nobles."

"I watched him whenever it was possible. There was one time when it seemed obvious that one man was trying to take advantage of the misfortune of another. Today I tried to fashion my responses the same way my grandfather did in that past situation. He always seemed so sure of himself, and the way he carried himself that day it made it look as if he knew the answers the men would give him before they even spoke. I asked him about it later that day, and he told me that he usually was unsure about those situations, but if he feigned his own confidence the one who was in the wrong would give themselves away and he would resolve the problem correctly and fairly."

Alistair leaned over and gave her a hug when he noticed the sorrowful look on her face. "I'm certain your grandfather is watching you from the Fade and is quite proud of you, my love."

Aeden smiled sadly at her. "Yes, my father would be as well. I remember asking him about how he would determine fault in disagreements and he would act the same way as you described. Hopefully Zoram and his friends will stay away from Warden House until the messenger finally comes from Weisshaupt." He stood up and led his friends to the door. "I hope you don't mind, but I'd like to get some sleep. We'll talk more over breakfast about tomorrow's plans. I hope you both sleep well."

Delia and Alistair wished Aeden well and left the room. Once the door was closed, Delia grabbed Alistair's hand and put her other hand's finger to her lips to signal his silence. She led him to her room and brought him inside, not noticing Zevran in the shadows of the hallway. Once the door was closed, Zevran silently moved to the door, putting his ear close to the wood to listen.

Delia had Alistair sit in one of the chairs near the fire as she retrieved the book from her pack. She then walked over to Alistair and sat next to him, handing him the book.

"Here, look at this."

Alistair was dumfounded. "Maker… that book was banned by the Chantry! Whatever was _that_ doing in the library?"

She sat on his lap, chuckling softly. "I suppose that wardens have the same sort of desires as anyone else. I thought it might be… enlightening for us both."

Alistair blushed from cheek to cheek as he put his arm around her waist and opened the book in front of the two of them.

"Well, let's see what all the fuss is about, shall we?" He opened the book in front of them and they began to read. Instead of reading about how to make passionate love, they discovered the book was actually about artworks dedicated to love.

Delia laughed. "I suppose that will teach us. After all, why would a Brother of the Chantry know anything about sex? They are celibate, after all."

"It is a bit disappointing, however. It would have been… _nice_ to learn some tips. I really have no idea what to do when we finally… _you know."_ He smiled at her shyly, earning a kiss from her.

"Don't worry, Alistair. Neither of us really have any idea what to do, but for some reason I think we'll be able to figure it out. We just need to give it a shot!"

Alistair laughed nervously before answering. "Yes… well… um… I guess I really should be getting to bed… um… sleep. Yes… sleep is good. I'll see you at breakfast, yes?"

Delia kissed him on the cheek before she stood up. "Yes, you will. Sleep well, my prince. Remember I love you."

As Alistair put his hand on the doorknob he answered. "And I, you. It is getting harder and harder to leave your side, my love."

As the door closed behind him, Delia sat on the bed and sighed. _"I know exactly what you mean, Alistair. I hope we won't have to be separated for any length of time again soon."_


	57. Chapter 57

Chapter 57: Separation Anxiety

When Alistair woke in the morning he didn't want to get out of his bed. He was feeling warm and happy, and all he could think about was Delia. It would be wonderful to wake up in the morning with her in his arms. The knock on his door pulled him out of his thoughts.

"Who is it?" he called out to the door.

"Aeden. You'd best get up, you're already running late. Did you stay up late?" The teasing tone of his voice gave away what he was thinking, and Alistair was not amused.

"No, but instead of your insinuating that I was _busy_ why don't you just come in here so we can talk instead of scream."

Aeden laughed. "Thanks, but I'll pass, although we do need to talk. I'm heading down to breakfast. Meet me down there."

Alistair heard Aeden's footsteps head to the stairs as he reluctantly pulled himself out of bed. He dressed as quickly as he could and made his way to the dining room. When he arrived, there was no one in the room except for Zevran.

"Good morning, Zev. Where is everyone else?" Alistair asked as he looked around.

"Most members of our party are still asleep, although our dear Delia asked Aeden to assist her with a battle stance. I expect they will be along momentarily. I must admit, my dear Alistair, I am glad to have this opportunity to speak with you alone. Would you care to join me?"

Alistair looked at the elf warily before sitting across the table from him. He poured a mug of hot cider for himself and took a swig as he tried to determine what Zevran was up to. "What's on your mind, Zev?"

"Well, my friend, I happen to know that a certain… tome has come into your possession, and that its contents were a bit… disappointing?" Zevran watched as the blush crept over Alistair's face before continuing. "You were hoping to learn some skills, perhaps? Ah, but a book written by a celibate monk would never be able to teach you the techniques that someone such as myself knows. I would like to offer you my services, as a teacher."

Alistair choked on his cider. "You? As a teacher? Of what?"

Zevran frowned. "My dear Alistair, it is common knowledge that you were raised in the Chantry. I have no doubt that you have little if any idea of what must be done in order to _please_ a woman. What I offer is knowledge. You are to marry my adopted sister, yes? I would be remiss if I were not to offer my assistance to you since you will be my adopted brother once you are married. It is important to me that my _sister_ enjoys herself. The pleasures you can give to each other will only make your marriage that much more _exciting_."

Alistair ran his hand through his hair. "Maker's breath, what have I done to deserve sinking to such a low level as learning about sex from an assassin?"

"It is merely an option I put before you, my friend, but who knows more about the art of passionate love than a man who was raised in a whorehouse and has used sex to get whatever he has wanted? I would like to give you a gift no one else is equipped to give to you – knowledge that will make Delia a _very_ happy woman."

"I'll… consider what you've said, Zevran. Right now I just want to eat and try to get my mind clear."

Luckily for Alistair, Deirdre walked into the room with plates filled with eggs and bacon. "Ah, warden, I see you're awake. Aeden was just in here a minute ago… where did he go?"

Zevran accepted a plate from her as he answered, "Delia pulled him away to spar with her for a few moments. I am certain he will be back shortly." He took a bite from his plate. "My dear Deirdre, you have outdone yourself this morning! If you were not already married to Gorshep I would have to steal you away. You could cook these magnificent meals for me, and I would make you a very happy woman the rest of the time!"

She whipped him with a towel that had been hanging on her shoulder as she smiled at him. "Ah, you are an irrepressible flirt, aren't you Zevran? Best you don't let Gorshep hear you – he can be mighty jealous, and he swings an ax like the best of 'em."

Zevran laughed. "My dear lady, I wouldn't dream of upsetting my host. He is certainly a very lucky man."

"Who is a lucky man, Zev?" Delia asked as she walked into the room followed by Aeden.

He looked impishly at Alistair. "Actually there are several lucky men among us, but I was referring to the husband of our lovely Deirdre at this time. I have not had the privilege of eating such delicacies for far longer than I want to think."

"Ack, enough of you now. Eat your eggs, Zevran, and enjoy them. I don't think I can listen to your golden tongue any more or my head will swell up and I'll really fall into the sky!" Deirdre made a hasty retreat back to the kitchen as Aeden and Delia laughed heartily.

They took seats next to Zevran and Alistair respectively, and Delia gave Alistair a kiss on the cheek. He looked sullen and didn't return her kiss, so she pouted.

"Something wrong, Alistair? You don't seem like yourself this morning."

"I'm fine, Delia. I'm just… pondering something that Zevran and I were discussing."

Aeden looked at the two of them with his eyebrow raised in question. "Perhaps we should discuss today's plan?"

Alistair nodded. "Yes… I'm sure that will help get my mind off of… things."

Aeden continued to speak about what they would face in Orzammar as Deirdre placed plates filled with food in front of him and Delia. The Proving Tournament would be later in the morning. After the tournament they hoped to meet with Harrowmount himself and be back at the Warden House in the afternoon.

"I think we should take Wynne and Sten with us. I don't think the dwarves could have anyone matching the strength of the three of us, and with Wynne's heals we are unstoppable."

"I agree, Aeden. We should go as soon as we can. I want to get back here as soon as possible." Alistair mustered a small grin for Delia and continued to eat.

They finished their breakfast and Aeden and Alistair went to pack supplies for the day. Delia sat in the study with Griffon. She was thinking about Alistair's mood while she absentmindedly scratched the deer hound behind his ears. Griffon could sense that something was bothering his new friend, so he stood up and put his head on her lap, looking up at her eyes plaintively.

"Oh, don't worry about me, Griff. I'm just wondering why Alistair was in such a mood this morning. I hope I didn't say anything that upset him." She smiled at the dog. "Maker knows that men can be so frustrating at times. I can't tell you how glad I am that you are a dog, even if you are male."

Griffon gave her a look that passed for a smile and woofed softly. Delia chuckled at the dog and motioned for him to follow her to the kitchen. There were a couple of leftover strips of bacon, so she gave one to the deer hound, telling him she had to save one for Dusty to be fair. Hearing voices in the foyer, she walked out to find the foursome ready to leave. They said their goodbyes and as Aeden walked out with Sten and Wynne, Alistair stayed behind for a moment.

He took Delia in his arms and gave her a kiss. "Mmm… I hate having to leave _again_. I'll see you as soon as we get back."

"Are you alright? You seemed bothered this morning." She put her hand on his cheek and he turned his head to kiss her palm.

"I'm alright. Just bothered by a conversation I had with Zev, but I'll be fine. I'll tell you about it tonight, I promise. Right now I'd better get moving, or Wynne is likely to turn me into a toad."

He left with a smile on his face, and Delia walked back to the study. Leliana was there, looking aggravated.

"There you are, Delia. I was wondering if we might be able to go to the market today. We've been cooped up here in the house for what seems like an eternity and I need some fresh air." She looked at Delia imploringly. "Please? There were several merchants whose wears looked very interesting when we came through the other day. I am so _bored_!"

Delia thought about it a moment and then nodded. "I think that's an excellent idea. Let's see who else would like to go."

Leliana gleefully bounced off to locate the others, and before long they had Trent and Zevran joining them. They decided to bring the two dogs as well to give them some exercise. After putting on their cloaks, they began the trek through the snow to the market square. The merchants were already buzzing about with their stock. Leliana pulled Zevran over to a stall selling fine Orlesian goods while Trent and Delia gravitated to an herbalist. Trent noticed the merchant next to the herbalist had leather supplies, so he walked the short distance to purchase some saddle soap.

Delia looked over the herbs for sale. There were many fine herbs from all over the world, including many from Nevarra and the Anderfels that she had never used before. The herbalist gave her recipes for using the herbs to intensify particular potions for heat and cold resistance, so Delia purchased a fair quantity.

As she looked at the other herbs and teas, she noticed dried flowers were available as well. The herbalist explained they were used to make soaps or scented oils, but that many women also liked to use the lavender in particular to make sachets to keep their clothes smelling nice. Suddenly Delia had an idea. She purchased some dried lavender and rose petals along with her herbs and some Seheron tea for Sten and, thanking the merchant for her help, walked over to Trent.

The two found Leliana and Zevran still at the Orlesian wares merchant. Leliana was finishing her purchase, which had been already wrapped up. Delia noticed some embroidery floss and selected some in several colors and then looked through some fine silk handkerchiefs. After choosing several, she paid for her purchase and the group walked around the rest of the market.

One of the merchants had dried fruit from Antiva. Delia and Zevran salivated over fruit, trying to decide which delicacy they most wanted. After not being able to decide, they bought a selection of dried figs, dates and apricots in an amount that not only would their entire party be able to enjoy them, but Deirdre would have a selection to experiment with in her kitchen.

Finally they made their way back to Warden House, and after eating their lunch Delia excused herself and went to her room. Removing her purchases from her pack, she selected a white handkerchief and began to embroider a design onto it using dark blue, red, green and silver threads. When she finished the stitching, she carefully cut the fabric and sewed the edges together, forming a shape of a small heart. A small hole was left in one end, and she stuffed the heart with the dried rose petals and lavender, closing the hole afterward. One side of the heart had two gryphons surrounded by twining roses. The other had the letters A and D, joined together in an intricate design.

Delia was quite proud of the sachet she created and couldn't wait to be able to give it to Alistair. It had taken most of the afternoon to make, and she started to become very anxious for the party to return to the house. After she carefully placed the sachet into her pocket, she walked downstairs to the study and started to read as history book she found about Weisshaupt Fortress. Griffon and Dusty lay down on either side of her chair as she waited fretfully.

The afternoon seemed to be interminable. Delia tried to focus on her reading, but her mind was wandering to her friends. _"Where are they? I hope nothing bad happened…"_ Delia was just about to give up on her book and start pacing when she heard the main door open. She rushed over to greet the group. They looked exhausted, and so Delia helped each of them with their cloaks.

With the wardens' group back at the house, Deirdre called them all into the dining room. The entire group gathered at the table. Delia sat next to a haggard looking Alistair. He noticed her worried face and took her hand in his, kissing the palm gently. There was a thick mutton stew with fresh bread and herbed butter. After the meal, Deirdre put out a supply of the dried fruits Delia had purchased that afternoon. When they finished, Alistair and Aeden brought Delia into the library to tell her about their day.

They had indeed won the Proving Tournament, but of course, that wasn't enough of an accomplishment to secure the thrown for Harrowmount. Their party had to travel to Dust Town, the part of Orzammar where the castless dwarves lived, and deal with a bunch of criminals led by a dwarf named Jarvia. After battling the thieves and killing most of them, they returned to Harrowmount only to learn that he still needed the wardens' party to do more for him in order to gain the throne. They needed to enter the Deep Roads the next morning and search for a living Paragon named Branka. Although it could take weeks or months to travel through the underground passages to find whatever remained of the missing woman, they only had two days before the Assembly had to decide who the legitimate king would be.

Neither Alistair nor Aeden seemed to be happy to travel into the Deep Roads, and when Delia asked why the two stumbled over their words. She could only gather that it was because of the sheer number of darkspawn they would be forced to fight. Yet again, she would have to be separated from her betrothed, and this time it would be for a couple of days. Taking a deep breath, Delia assured the two that she would be fine handling everything at their home base.

Aeden then excused himself so he could have a hot bath and get to sleep. Alistair was about to do the same, but Delia put her hand on his arm to stop him.

"I know you're exhausted, love, but just give me a minute, please?"

He looked into her pleading eyes and smiled warmly. "How could I ever deny you anything, my dear?" He sat next to the fireplace and pulled her onto his lap. She felt so good in his arms… so right, and he buried his face in her hair. The smell of her soap relaxed him and he kissed her softly.

Delia could feel him relax and was glad. He had seemed to be so stressed all day and she worried about him.

"Alistair…"

"Hmmm…." He replied as he nuzzled into her hair.

"I have something for you." She pushed back just far enough so she could reach into her pocket and take out the sachet. "We went to the market today, and I bought the supplies to make this for you." She placed it into his hand.

His eyes opened wide when he noticed the fine handiwork. "This… this is extraordinary. You made this yourself?"

Delia giggled. "Yes, but it really isn't that wonderful. You should see the work of my teacher, now _that_ is truly exceptional."

"Perhaps, but _you_ made this. The way you have our initials intertwined… this is a work of art!"

"Smell it, Alistair."

"Smell it? I don't understand…"

"It's a sachet. Smell it."

He took a deep lungful and smelled the fragrance of the lavender and roses. "It… smells like you!" He smiled from ear to ear. "How did you do that?"

Delia snuggled closer against his chest. "It has dried rose petals and lavender inside, the same flowers that are used in my soap. I thought… you could keep it with you when you are apart from me, and when you miss me you can take it out and know that my heart is always with you, even when you aren't at my side."

Alistair pulled back from her and took her face between his two hands. "Delia, do you have any idea how amazing you are? No one has ever given me anything as wonderful as this present. I will keep it with me always." He gently kissed her, the soft feel of her lips unleashing his deep feelings for her. When they finally released the kiss, both were breathing hard.

"Darling, I don't want to leave you tonight. I really don't. I really need to sleep though. The Deep Roads are dangerous, and I need to be at my best. Forgive me for taking my leave of you."

Delia nodded. "I understand. I'll walk you to your room."

They both stood and walked with their arms around each other's waist up to Alistair's room. Before he opened the door, he took her into his arms again and kissed her passionately once again.

"Maker… you have no idea how much I want to stay with you…" he sighed as he traced her face with his index finger.

"Oh, I think I have some idea." Delia blushed and smiled at him shyly. "I'll see you in the morning before you leave, won't I?"

"Oh, I promise. You can't get away from me _that_ easily, woman!" he laughed.

They said goodnight to each other and Delia walked across the hallway to her room, smiling once more at him as she opened the door and disappeared behind it. Sighing to herself sadly, she readied herself for bed and lay down. She still didn't know what was troubling her love, and she couldn't help but worry, so she prayed to Andraste that he would find a way to solve his problem, whatever is was. It took a long time, but she finally found a troubled sleep, tossing and turning until the sun finally rose.


	58. Chapter 58

Chapter 58: High Anxiety

When Delia woke she felt as if she hadn't slept at all. Whatever was troubling Alistair had her worried, and she couldn't find a way to set her concerns aside. She knew that somehow she had to hide her own anxiety to allow Alistair to concentrate on his battles, so she dressed and splashed cold water on her face to try to look more awake. After brushing her hair she nearly ran down the stairs to find the wardens.

As she suspected, both Alistair and Aeden were in the dining room already eating breakfast and deep in discussion about their upcoming mission. When they heard her footsteps they both looked up. Alistair smiled warmly and stood to greet her. Once she reached his side he pulled her into an embrace and kissed her, earning a chuckle from Aeden.

Alistair glared at him teasingly. "Oh, you're just jealous." He pulled a chair out for Delia and sat back down. Deirdre was in the room momentarily with a plate of food for Delia.

"Deirdre, you must be a mind reader. How did you know I was here?"

"Ah, dearie, I've been servin' wardens for so many years, you learn to listen close for footsteps, especially at breakfast. They are usually so ravenously hungry first thing in the morning that it's far better for me to be ready when they get here."

The trio laughed good naturedly at the dwarf and then fell back into their conversation.

"As I was saying earlier, Alistair, I think we should bring Sten with us again," Aeden said between mouthfuls of oatcakes.

"Are you sure that's a good idea? What if we need to unlock something? You don't think it would be good to bring Zev?"

"I'd rather have brute strength to take down as many darkspawn as possible. Hopefully that will mean we can get back that much faster so that I can be even more jealous of you, if that's possible." Aeden winked at Delia with a mischievous smile, earning a kick under the table from Alistair.

"If you break my shin I won't be of much use to you," Aeden retaliated.

Alistair smirked at him and his mood soured again. Although they spoke more about the mission during the remainder of the meal, Alistair seemed distant and bothered. Delia looked at him and was concerned. He didn't have his usual smile or the glint in his eyes. She had never seen him like this in all the time she had known him, and she knew something was very wrong.

After they finished eating the two wardens double checked their supplies while Sten, Wynne and Trent sat at the table and ate. When they finished their meal the wardens were ready to leave. The foursome put on their cloaks and took up the packs. Delia watched sadly as they readied themselves, not knowing what to say to brighten her love's mood. When the group headed toward the door, Delia said goodbye to Aeden, Wynne and Sten in turn and then asked Alistair to stay for a moment.

"I'm worried about you, love. You aren't yourself this morning. Are you sure you're alright?"

He looked at her with the saddest expression she had ever seen on his face. "I'm… fine, Delia." He took her into his arms and held her tight, breathing in the scent of her hair. "I'll miss you more than I could ever describe in mere words."

She looked up into his eyes. "You'll be back tomorrow. Until then, when you miss me, hold onto my heart." She smiled at him hopefully, but she only earned a sorrowful smile in return.

"I love you, Delia. More than anything. You know that, don't you?"

"Yes, Alistair. And I love you. I believe in you and your strength. You _will_ be back home with me tomorrow night. You have to believe that too." Tears started to flow from her eyes.

"Alright. I will believe… for you." He kissed away her tears before claiming her lips one final time. Then he walked out the door without looking back.

She watched as the door closed behind him, then burst into tears. Something about this mission into the Deep Roads had him more anxious than she had ever seen him before, and she didn't understand any of it. She needed answers, and the only place she might find them was in the library.

Delia walked purposefully to the library. Griffon noticed her as she walked past the study, and the big, grey dog lazily stood up, yawned, and followed her. He settled down next to the fireplace as Delia searched through the books for anything that would teach her about the Deep Roads.

Delia was so entrenched in her research that she had no idea the length of time that elapsed when she heard someone behind her clear their throat. She turned around to find Trent, holding a serving platter with two bowls of soup, some bread and various cheeses and dried fruit. He smiled warmly at her when her stomach growled appreciatively seeing the food.

"I see you are hungry, even if you didn't realize it," he said with a chuckle as he set the platter on the desk.

"I didn't even realize it was lunchtime, to be honest," she answered as she pulled a second chair to the desk.

"You've been busy. Anything I can do to help?"

"Maybe. I've been trying to learn whatever I can about the Deep Roads, but I can't figure out what has Alistair so upset. I realize they'll most likely have to kill hundreds of darkspawn in there, but there's something else… I just don't know what he's hiding."

"Well, I don't know how much good I'll be in your research, but I'll do what I can. I have a fair understanding of the written word." He smiled warmly and reached out to touch her hand. "I'm sure that everything will work itself out with Alistair. Personally, I think the poor lad loves you so much that he doesn't know how to figure out his own feelings."

She smiled at him as she bit into a piece of cheese. She tossed a piece to Griffon, who thumped his tail on the floor in appreciation. Trent called Dusty into the room to make sure the mabari was fed as well, and then they spent the afternoon looking through dwarven history books. By the time dinner drew near, Delia closed the book she had located about Aeducan Thaig and sighed.

"I can't see anything in these texts that would explain Alistair's mood. It's all battles and politics of the past…" Delia was visibly frustrated.

"Could it be a warden thing?" Trent looked at her inquiringly.

She raised an eyebrow as Griffon whined softly. "Yes… perhaps there are some Grey Warden books here somewhere. I think that's what we should look for next."

Trent's stomach growled. "I think that can wait until tomorrow. Right now we need to take care of these very patient dogs and then get ready for dinner. Deirdre would be very upset with us if we miss the meal!"

Delia laughed. "Yes, she would. She does so much for us, and I don't want to have her feel slighted in any way. Let's take the dogs outside for a short walk."

They made their way to the foyer – a trip made difficult because of the two massive dogs that bounded around their legs in circles. Once they finally got to the door they put on their heavy cloaks and took the dogs into the freezing cold. The sky was clear and the stars were brilliant against the black dome above them. As Delia stood, looking at the beautiful display, she thought about the night Alistair proposed to her. Just then she saw a shooting star, just like the one they had seen that night in the Dalish camp. Somehow the sight of the meteor lifted her heart, and she felt that things would indeed work out.

When Delia, Trent and the dogs went back inside it was just the right time for dinner. They quickly hung their cloaks up and went to the dining room only to find a surprise waiting for them. Sten was there, sitting and waiting for the meal to begin.

"Sten, what are you doing here? Where are the others?" Delia looked around, panic threatening to take over.

"The wardens told me to return here to Warden House. There was a dwarf named Oghren who led them into the Deep Roads. He had been there before, and the wardens felt his experience would be an asset in accomplishing their goal."

Delia frowned. She would have felt more at ease if Sten were with the others. She trusted the warrior's skill and dedication, and she knew that Sten would never abandon them. Not knowing the dwarf who had taken his place for the mission made her ill at ease. She tried to keep up a brave front, but there were members of their group that noticed, most notably Trent.

Trent easily saw the shadow cross over her face and knew that her anxiety had grown. Somehow he needed to find a way to ease her mind, but he really didn't know what to do. He was raised as a soldier and never spent a lot of time with women. There was no easy logical explanation as to why Alistair had been acting strangely, and trying to soothe his daughter without any idea as to what was actually happening would be difficult.

The group ate their meal with everyone conversing normally, although Delia was more quiet than usual. She picked at her food, finding her appetite had disappeared. When the meal was finished, Delia excused herself, telling Trent she would see him at breakfast the following day, and she retreated to her room.

Once there, she readied herself for bed and spent some time in prayer. She asked the Maker to keep the wardens and their traveling companions safe, but she asked Andraste herself to help Alistair resolve whatever was troubling him.

The following day, Delia and Trent spent most of their time researching again. It surprised them that there were very few books about Grey Wardens in the Warden House library. They only found three books that had anything to do with the wardens. One was a history of famous wardens and their accomplishments. The second was more of an art history book explaining the symbolism of the art and architecture of Weisshaupt Fortress. The third was an ancient tome from one of the gryphon keepers, describing in detail how to best raise and train gryphons. All in all, the afternoon was frustrating and disappointing.

Trent suggested they take the dogs for a walk to clear their minds. It was midafternoon, and he reminded Delia that the wardens were expected to return by dinner. She agreed to take a walk, and watching the two dogs as they frolicked in the snow helped to lighten her spirits, even if it was only a little bit. Trent found some sticks, and the two took turns throwing them for the dogs to retrieve. After spending the better part of an hour outside, they decided to return to Warden House to warm up.

When they walked inside, Deirdre heard them and after she helped them remove their cloaks, she shepherded them into the study to sit and warm themselves near the fire. As they sat there, warming their hands, Deirdre brought them mugs of hot cider. Delia happily drank the hot liquid, becoming a bit warmer with each sip.

Once they both finished their beverages, Trent turned to his daughter. Putting a smile on his face, he reached over and squeezed Delia's hand. "My dear, I think you should go to your room and take a hot bath. After you finish, you should make yourself beautiful for Alistair. You should look your best for him, when he gets home."

She looked at the floor as she tried to smile in return. "You are probably right. I should look nice for him. A nice, hot bath would certainly feel good."

"Then go… pamper yourself for awhile. If you need me for anything, you can send Griff after me. I'm going to check the horses as soon as I feel ready to battle the cold again." He smiled warmly at her. "Take your time and relax."

She nodded at him, stood and gave him a kiss on the cheek as she left the room. Once she was in her room, she started filling the tub as she removed her clothes. Once the tub was filled with steaming hot water, she settled herself into the water with a sigh and tried to think only relaxing thoughts. She started by remembering a wonderful picnic her teacher, Justine, had arranged one year for her and Dairren's fifteenth birthday. It was warm and the sky was a brilliant blue. All the girls from the school were fawning over her brother, making Delia snicker as she teased him.

Thinking about Dairren brought a smile to her face, but then realizing she would never see her dear brother again made her sigh in sadness. Somehow she needed to think of happy things… things that would make her relax. As she washed her hair, Delia tried thinking of her new friends, but that inevitably brought her thoughts back to Alistair. As she tried unsuccessfully to push her anxiety away, the water started to feel cold.

She climbed out of the tub, dried herself off and put on a warm dressing gown while she brushed out her hair. Her hair was so tangled for some reason, so she took her time working out the many snarls, concentrating on keeping the pain of pulling her hair to a minimum. Once the tangles were out, she decided to brush one hundred strokes with the brush, the way her mother had taught her as a small child. It helped her relax by performing the simple ritual, and once she was finished she dressed in a pair of soft leather breeches and a warm wool tunic. As she looked in the mirror, she frowned at the image reflected back. Her hair just seemed wrong somehow, so she decided to braid the two sides and attach them in the back.

Finally she deemed herself to be presentable and walked to her door. When she opened it, she was shocked to see Aeden across the hallway opening his door.

"Aeden! When did you get back?" she smiled as she rushed across the corridor to hug her adopted brother.

He returned her hug warmly. "Not long ago, only a few minutes really."

"Where's Alistair?"

"I'm not certain… he was looking for Trent. Said he needed to speak to him about something. I'm certain he'll be along any minute…"

His last words fell on deaf ears as Delia rushed off down the hallway to the stairs. She knew that Trent would be in the stable, so she grabbed her cloak and started out toward the horses. As she approached the large barn door, she noticed it was ajar and she heard Alistair speaking to Trent, sounding very distressed. Delia moved to the entrance, deciding to eavesdrop.

"With everything we have to face, all I can think is that it is for the best to break my betrothal to Delia."

She was shocked. Alistair wanted to break their betrothal? Stifling a sob, she turned and hurried back to the house. She threw her cloak onto the railing in the foyer and rushed to her room, throwing herself onto the bed before bursting into tears.


	59. Chapter 59

Chapter 59: Resolution

The Deep Roads had been awful for Alistair. Not only did he miss Delia with every fiber of his being, but his longing for her companionship had grown to where he was having thoughts that were not becoming for a gentleman raised in the Chantry. Maker knew that he wanted her in every sense of the word, but he was having second thoughts.

He knew that wardens basically lived a long term death sentence. The Joining ceremony made them ingest the blood of the darkspawn, which _if_ they survived initially would eventually turn them into the beasts they sought to destroy in twenty five to thirty years. Eventually their bodies would turn, and they would hear the call of the darkspawn, leading them to the Deep Roads where they traditionally would sacrifice themselves killing as many darkspawn as possible before the monsters would overwhelm them.

Could he ask Delia to live that death sentence with him? He knew that he couldn't possibly allow her to partake in the Joining. To watch her die from the tainted blood would be unbearable, but how could he explain it to her without divulging the secrets of the wardens? Could he release her from her promise to marry him? The thought of not marrying her was tearing him apart.

During their time in the Deep Roads, Alistair took the opportunity when they camped to talk to Aeden. His fellow warden was a tremendous help, more so than Alistair thought he would be. Aeden knew Delia well, and he felt that Alistair could trust her with warden secrets. She was, after all, a recruit, and Aeden felt that she would be relieved to know why Alistair had been so upset. He didn't think she would want to be parted from Alistair as it was obvious how much she truly loved him.

Once they were finally back safely at Warden House, Alistair decided he needed to speak to Trent to get his thoughts on the matter. He was Delia's father, and Aeden agreed that he could be made privy to some of the warden secrets. When they entered the house, he asked Gorshep if he had seen Trent. The dwarf replied the soldier was taking care of the horses. Alistair thanked him and went out to the stable.

"Ser Trent… may I speak to you? It's about Delia…" Alistair sat on a hay bale and ran his fingers through his hair nervously.

Trent finished brushing the horse and sat across from Alistair. "Of course, Alistair. What's on your mind?"

"Well… I've been doing a lot of thinking. You _know_ how much I love Delia. I want to marry her more than anything… actually I never really wanted anything before she came into my life. I never had the _right_ to want anything. I thought that becoming a Grey Warden was the greatest thing that could ever possibly happen to me, but then, somehow, there she was… and my life hasn't been the same since I first saw her smile at me that day in Ostagar."

He looked around nervously. "There are several things about Grey Wardens that don't exactly make us ideal as spouses…" He sighed and looked at the ground. "First, the Joining Ceremony itself is more likely to kill you than spare you. I can't tell you specifically why or how, but we take the taint of the darkspawn inside ourselves which gives us certain abilities at the expense of a much shortened life. At the end of that life, we hear the darkspawn calling to us, and traditionally we travel to the Deep Roads to kill as many darkspawn as we can until the horde overwhelms and kills us. Wardens only have twenty five years or so from their Joining, of course if they don't die earlier in battle."

He looked at Trent with a face that reflected his despair. "I cannot allow Delia to take the Joining. It would destroy me if she died from it. But she will hate me for not allowing her to become a full Grey Warden."

Trent nodded. "I do believe she'll understand, Alistair."

"Yes, but then there's another side effect of being a warden… it is unlikely that I can have children. She would be a wonderful mother. Would it be fair of me to deprive her of that experience?"

He again looked at the ground before saying in a near whisper, "With everything we have to face, all I can think is that it is for the best to break my betrothal to Delia. It would be doing her a favor, actually. However, I am selfish and cannot imagine a life without her. Is it wrong of me to marry her? Or should I release her and hope she can find happiness and a family with someone who can give her a more normal life?"

Trent chuckled. "Oh, Alistair… you don't know her as well as you think you do. My daughter has never had a so called normal life. She knows too well what happens when you cannot be with the one you love… she saw how her mother deteriorated over the years when we were not permitted to be together. Delia would rather have five minutes with you in bliss than a lifetime of regret and heartache without you. I know this from my own experience."

Trent walked over to the young warden and put his hands on his shoulders. Looking warmly at him, he tried to reassure him. "Go to Delia. Tell her exactly what you have told me and give her the option of breaking the betrothal. I bet you that she tells you in no uncertain terms that she will never leave you for any reason. You should have seen how she's been fretting over your poor mood for the past few days!"

Alistair looked up at the soldier and smiled the first real smile he had shown in days. "Did she really? Maker knows that I couldn't have missed her more."

Trent laughed. "Then get yourself inside and find her, man! Don't make her wait any longer!"

Alistair looked at him, a very serious expression on his face. "Trent, I want to marry her… as soon as possible. Would you, as her father, have any objection if we were to marry, say… tomorrow?"

"How can you arrange that, Alistair? We're at Orzammar, and it's not exactly Chantry central, what with their belief of the stone and all…"

Alistair smiled again. "Well, one of the benefits of being a warden is that you have a certain amount of respect from a lot of different people. The dwarves respect the wardens for their bravery with battling the darkspawn, and so they listen to us. There is a surface dwarf we met, named Brother Burkel…"

"Brother Burkel?" Trent looked at him with his eyebrow raised.

"Yes, a dwarven brother of the Chantry. He asked the Shaperate to be allowed to have prayer meetings, and because we as wardens asked on his behalf he's been allowed to open a small Chantry."

Trent smiled broadly. "I have no objections at all, lad. If you get the good brother to perform the ceremony I'll gladly take on the role of father of the bride!"

Alistair stood up with a smile and grasped his arm in a warrior handshake. "Then I'd best be going. And Trent…"

"Yes?"

"Thank you. I mean it… I never had a father, and you've been so gracious to me. I appreciate all the advice you give to me."

Trent smiled broadly. "Any time, Alistair. Of course, it helps that you have been such a gentleman with my daughter. You have earned my trust and respect, and it is my honor to help you in any way I can."

Alistair hurried back into the house, took off his cloak and walked into the study. Most of the group members were in the room, but there was no sign of Delia so he looked in the library. When she wasn't there either he went upstairs to her room and knocked on the door.

"Delia? Are you there?" he called through the door.

Delia panicked. She was not ready to speak to him, given that he was going to break their betrothal, so she quietly moved to the far side of the bed from the door and hid from view. She ducked down just in time to avoid Alistair as he opened the door to see if she was asleep. When he didn't see her on the bed he closed the door and headed back downstairs.

Delia sighed in relief and remained sitting on the floor. She hugged her knees to her chest as she cried as quietly as she could.

Alistair went back downstairs and asked his friends if anyone had seen Delia. No one had seen her since much earlier in the afternoon, so he walked over to Griffon.

"Griffon, would you help me, please? I can't find Delia, but I bet you can."

The dog slowly stood up and stretched, then licked Alistair's hand and walked to the stairs. Alistair followed the dog as he led the warden back to Delia's door.

Alistair stood at the door confused. "Are you certain, Griff? I looked in here just before I found you in the study."

The deer hound woofed softly and gently scratched at the door. Alistair called to Delia once again, only to be met with silence again. He opened the door and the dog walked into the room and around the end of the bed, standing on the far side wagging his tail. Alistair heard the sound of fabric moving so he moved inside the room, finally seeing Delia as she tried to push the dog away.

"Delia? Are you alright? I've been looking all over for you, and if I didn't know better I would think you were avoiding me." He walked over to her hiding place and offered her his hand to help her stand.

She ignored the extended hand and instead hugged her knees to her chest again, burying her face into her thighs. "It could be because I _am_ avoiding you," she said as her sobs returned.

Alistair was visibly upset. "But why? What happened?"

Delia looked up at him and anger flashed over her face. "Because I overheard you! You intend to break our betrothal. I don't know what I've done to deserve it, but _I_ won't _force_ you to marry me since you don't _want_ me."

Alistair knelt on the floor next to her and pulled her into his arms. "Oh, no… no Delia… what did you overhear?"

"You said it would be for the best if you broke our betrothal. And don't lie to me, I heard you say it to Trent in the stable. You didn't even have the _nerve_ to speak to _me_ about it." Her sobs grew louder, and he pulled her even closer.

"Oh, my darling… what you heard was my own confusion and fears… that isn't what I _want_. Please, come sit with me and I'll explain everything."

Gently he helped her stand and led her to the chairs next to the fireplace. After having her sit, he knelt in front of her, holding her hands in his own.

"Delia, I've been so confused. It started when Gorshep told us about Griffon's owner going to his Calling. Do you have any idea what the Calling is?"

She shook her head. "I thought he was called by Weisshaupt for some reason. Why? What is it?"

Alistair sighed. "There are so many warden secrets you don't know, but I think you need to know. Promise me that what I tell you will not leave this room?"

She nodded and looked into his eyes. He ran his hand through his hair nervously again before he continued. "I guess the best place to start is with the Joining. I'm going to say to you now that I do not want you to take the Joining. Not… ever."

She looked at him with fear and confusion. "Why not? I've worked so hard to prove myself and I thought I had earned the respect of both you and Aeden? What have I done wrong?"

"You've done nothing wrong at all, my love. I simply can't bear the thought of your partaking in the ritual. You have to… drink a concoction containing darkspawn blood. That is what gives us our famous stamina as well as allow us to sense the darkspawn. The biggest problem with the Joining is that many people die as soon as they drink." Delia looked shocked as Alistair continued speaking. "I couldn't bear it if you were to die. Especially not that way."

She looked at him and nodded sadly. "I can understand that. But why don't you want to marry me? If you love me that much…"

He grabbed her shoulders. "It's precisely because I love you so much that I have been debating releasing you from out betrothal. There are… other bad things about being a warden." He released her and stood up, walking to the fireplace. He placed his hand on the mantel and looked into the fire. "The taint eventually will kill me. It will take twenty five to thirty years, but someday my body will not be able to fight it anymore. It will start to… turn me into one of the monsters I am sworn to fight. You know about our nightmares… they get worse. We start to… hear the darkspawn call to us, hence the term 'Calling'. That's when we know that it's time for us to go to the Deep Roads and kill darkspawn until they kill us."

Delia was shocked and bewildered. "So, does that mean you are, in a sense, darkspawn already?"

He looked sadly at her. "My understanding is no, we simply have their taint inside of us. But our lives are a living death sentence. We all know that we will die in battle, one way or another, and we will not live to old age. If we marry, someday you will be a widow, one way or another."

"Unless I die before you…" she whispered.

He walked back to her and pulled her to standing, then into a hug. "No, I couldn't allow that to happen." He kissed her forehead softly.

"I could go to your Calling with you…"

A look of terror flashed across Alistair's face. "No… I never want you in the Deep Roads. Not ever."

"Why not? You can't expect me to allow you to die by yourself, not when I can be at your side…"

"Delia, when we were in the Deep Roads we learned something about the darkspawn that horrified us. We've often wondered why there haven't been many female wardens, and I think we now know why. The darkspawn take the men that they drag under the surface and they eat them. The women… oh Maker… they turn them in to brood mothers. They are horrendous monsters, with tentacles flailing all around them…" He pulled her tightly against him. "I couldn't bear it if you were captured by those creatures. I love you far too much."

She buried her face into his shoulder. "Then promise me that, should they ever capture me, you will search the Deep Roads until you can find me and put me out of my misery."

He nodded, a sob escaping from his chest.

"Alistair, I still don't understand. You say you love me, and yet you wish to release me? I need to understand." She looked at him, imploring him for a better explanation.

"You deserve the best of everything, and I cannot promise you anything even close to a normal life. We won't grow old together. Because of the taint I may never even be able to…" His voice trailed off with another sob as he pulled her closer against his chest.

"Able to what? What are you talking about?"

"I may never be able to give you children. It is rare for wardens to be able to have any." He released her and walked a few feet away, balled his fist and hit the wall. "You deserve a family. You deserve a life… a full, happy, wonderful life. My mind has been… tormented by me own selfish desires raging against what sort of life I want you to be able to have."

Delia moved behind him and gently placed her hand on his shoulder. "And what are your selfish desires?"

He turned to face her and took her hands into his. "I want to marry you. I want to ravish you… wake up to you… be with you. I never want to be separated from you."

"That is what I want as well. Alistair, I don't care if we only have an hour where we are happily married. At least I would be able to look back and remember that I was married to the most wonderful man in all Thedas, even if it was only for a short while. I don't know what a normal life is because I have never had one. As far as children… that is a matter for the Maker to decide, not us. I would be thrilled to have your children, but if the Maker decides that I cannot, I have to accept that." She placed her hand on his cheek and looked deeply into his eyes. "Alistair, I do not want to break our betrothal. What I want is to be your wife. Please don't give up on us."

He smiled warmly at her and kissed the palm of her hand. "Now, see, that's the part of my talk with Trent that you obviously missed. Delia, will you marry me tomorrow?"

She was surprised. "Tomorrow? But how? There isn't a Chantry nearby…"

"Ah, but that is no longer true. The dwarves have a Chantry as of yesterday when we helped Brother Berkel gain permission. I've already spoken to him, and he would be more than happy to perform the ceremony… if you will have me still."

Delia threw her arms around his neck and started to kiss his face all over. "Yes, Alistair! I will marry you tomorrow!"

He picked her up and swung her around, both of them giggling. "Alright then, I guess we'd better let everyone know!"

The two made their way down the stairs, carefully avoiding being tripped by a very happy and excited deer hound, who's barking was bound to get everyone's attention. Suddenly everything seemed like it would be fine, after all the sadness his new mistress had been under, and Griffon couldn't be happier.


	60. Chapter 60

Chapter 60: Twas the Night Before…

Alistair and Delia walked into the dining room hand in hand and both grinning from ear to ear. Their companions were already seated at the table and had started to eat dinner so the room was noisy from the sound of conversation. Alistair walked to an open chair at the table and picked up a glass and started to clank a spoon against the glass to get everyone's attention.

"I have some important news that will affect everyone here," he said once the room was quiet. "Tomorrow is going to be a big day, as Delia has agreed to marry me, here at Warden House!"

The table erupted in congratulations as they all stood and took turns hugging the two. Of course, Zevran took advantage of the situation and held on to Delia a little bit too close and for a little bit too long for Alistair's liking, earning a lecherous grin and shoulder shrug from Zevran.

"Ah, you know me, my dear Alistair. I must take my pleasure where I can, and I know that you would never permit me to hug _you_ in that manner, so I must get my hugs where I can!"

Gorshep went down to the wine cellar and brought back several bottles of sparkling wine from Orlais so that they could have a proper toast to the bride and groom. Deirdre was nearly beside herself with excitement as she had never had an opportunity to help any wardens celebrate such a wonderful event before! She started to plan the menu aloud, talking to no one in particular.

Trent walked over to Alistair and clapped his hand against his shoulder. "I couldn't be happier, lad."

Alistair beamed at the warrior. "You don't know how much that means to me. Thank you, Trent."

They all sat to eat the savory mutton stew that Deirdre served and the conversation seemed to divide by men and women. The men were discussing how they should help Alistair spend his last night as a single man, making Alistair blush profusely. Delia's conversation was dominated by wedding plans. Leliana and Wynne were very eager to be certain that Delia had the most beautiful wedding possible and as soon as the meal was finished, Leliana grabbed Delia by the hand and started to drag her upstairs.

With an apologetic smile to her groom, Delia was pulled out of the room. The men heard the women giggling all the way up the stairs. Morrigan followed behind, a look of curiosity on her face. When they reached Delia's room, they filed in and sat either on the window seat or in the chairs.

"Delia, do you still have your dress? The green one that looked so beautiful on you?" Wynne asked with concern. "It may not be traditional, but at least it's a dress."

Leliana shook her head. "No, that will not do at all. Wait here one minute." She hurried across the hall to her room and returned with a package. "Delia, open this and tell me what you think."

Leliana simply radiated excitement as Delia ripped open the brown paper. Inside the package, Delia found a gorgeous dress made of white silk with silver trim. It was sewn in the current Orlesian fashion, with a deep V neck, exposing a bit more of the décolletage than Delia was used to and causing her to blush.

"Oh, don't be so modest. Try it on, Delia. It will look very different once it's on. Trust me." Leliana pushed her toward the privacy screen.

Delia removed her tunic and breeches and carefully stepped into the dress. The silk felt marvelous on her skin, and Leliana was right when she said it wouldn't be quite as risqué as Delia originally thought. As she stepped out from in back of the screen, the ladies all gasped and Wynne clasped her hands together.

"Delia, that dress is perfect for you! Leliana, you have very good taste!" Wynne looked approvingly at the bard.

Leliana chuckled. "I learned many different skills in my previous life, and knowing how clothes would look on someone before they try them on is a very important skill when you are trying to sway a mark."

Morrigan looked at the three women as they fussed over the dress with an amused curiosity. "So, am I to understand that by marrying you are not only attached to the idiot Templar for the rest of your life, but you have to partake in a meaningless ceremony where you costume yourself like a doll? What is the purpose of this? Wouldn't it be simpler if you simply coupled with him and worked these foolish feelings out of your mind?"

Delia looked at the apostate first with anger, but realized that she truly did not understand. "Morrigan, people marry for any of a number of reasons. It could be for power, it could be for protection, but I am very fortunate that I am marrying for love. I know that you don't think very highly of Alistair, but that is because you choose to not know him well. His intellect is much higher than you give him credit for, and I hope that someday you will learn to appreciate him. The ceremony and formal dress is our way to show the Maker that we do not take this marriage lightly. We are committing ourselves to each other, witnessed by our closest friends who, for us, have become our family," she smiled at the women, "and the vows we will make to each other and the Maker we will take into our very souls. As for simply coupling, with Alistair's Chantry upbringing, it would be difficult for him to do that outside of a marriage. It isn't simply a physical act for him – it is a spiritual one as well."

Wynne moved toward Delia and inspected the fit of the dress. "We need to alter this dress a bit. Leliana, would you please retrieve my sewing kit? I have some pins in there… oh, what shoes will you wear, Delia? We need to adjust the length to the shoes…"

"I took care of that as well, Wynne." Leliana pulled a pair of dainty white slippers from behind her back. "You will need shoes that are pretty, but I know that you will want something comfortable, yes? These slippers should take care of both needs. Try them on!"

Delia sat on the chair, careful to prevent the dress from wrinkling, and put the slippers on her feet. They were made from the same silk as the dress, with soft suede soles to prevent her from slipping. As Leliana said, they were comfortable, yet perfect for the dress.

"Leliana, where did you ever get these? And how did you know I would need them?" Delia couldn't help but look at herself in the mirror.

"I bought them at the Orlesian silk merchant when we shopped the other day. I knew you and Alistair would be getting married at some point, and when I saw the dress and how perfect it would be for you, I couldn't pass it by!"

Delia walked over and hugged her friend. "Leliana, thank you. You are such a wonderful friend!"

Leliana giggled and slipped out of her friend's embrace. "Wait until your dress is perfect and then you can thank all of us." She left to get Wynne's sewing kit, and when she returned they immediately started to pin the adjustments, the women chatting all the while. Once the pins were in place, Delia carefully removed the dress and put back on her tunic and breeches, and the women all started to work on the dress.

Deirdre came upstairs after an hour had passed and brought some sherry and cheese. She joined in the conversation as well, and the women spent the evening enjoying the camaraderie of their joint sewing project and their conversation.

Alistair, on the other hand, was a bit more nervous. The men were in the library, drinking some very fine Antivan brandy and teasing Alistair. It wasn't so bad when Trent or Aeden were teasing him good naturedly, but Zevran wouldn't stop asking him about what he knew about making love and Oghren was already drunk and talking to invisible nugs that were trying to steal his pants!

Alistair drank his brandy and didn't realize when it was quietly refilled. Before long he was inebriated himself. Zevran kept an eye on him, waiting for the point when Alistair would be just at the point where he could be the most swayed and then took the Templar into the corner, sitting in the chair next to him.

"My dear Alistair, am I to believe that you have never once experienced the pleasure of a woman?" the elf teased.

"Well… of coursh not, Zev… you know it. You're the one who-oosh been teashing me the most…"

"Do you have any idea what to do tomorrow night? Once you are alone with your wife?"

Alistair looked through blearily drunken eyes at the assassin. "No… not really, but I bet I can figgur it out shomehow!" He laughed uproariously.

Zevran eyed the drunken groom before putting his hand on his knee and leaning toward him, whispering in his ear. "You, my good friend, are in luck. Tonight I am going to teach you everything you need to know to make our lovely Delia a much fulfilled woman."

For the next hour, Zevran whispered into Alistair's ear. Every once in a while, Alistair would react in surprise at something Zevran would say, the elf becoming more amused every time.

After the hour, Alistair was so drunk he could barely keep his eyes open. However, he looked at Zevran with worry. "Zev, why are you teaching me all thish? I mean, I shertainly appresh-iate everything you're telling me, but whatsh in it for you?"

Zevran put his hand on Alistair's shoulder and very seriously spoke from his heart. "Because I have come to think of you as a good friend, and I want only the best for you and Delia. You will remember at least parts of this conversation tomorrow, and your first time with Delia will not be as awkward as it would have been. But for now, my dear Templar, we must put you to bed. Come with me."

Alistair looked confused. "Zev, you _know_ I'm not that kind of a guy…"

"Do not worry, I am simply helping you to your own room. You need your beauty sleep if you are to look dashing for the delightful Delia at your wedding!"

"Delia… you know I love her sho much! I wonder if she'sh shtill awake. Maybe I should go see her?" He took a few faltering steps and nearly fell, but Zevran caught him and helped him stand upright again.

"Not tonight, my friend. Sleep is what you need now. And a visit from Wynne first thing in the morning." He put his arm around Alistair's waist and took him to his room, depositing him on his bed before taking off the warden's boots and pulling the blanket over him. "Goodnight, my friend. Tomorrow your life will never be the same. Do not disappoint Delia – she only deserves the best, and now, perhaps, you will have some knowledge of how to be close to the best, yes?" He slipped out of the room, soft snores confirming that Alistair was already asleep.


	61. Chapter 61

Chapter 61: Wedding Day Part 1

Alistair woke up and his hand immediately went to his head. _"Oh, my head hurts! I haven't felt this awful since the day after my Joining party… maybe Wynne will take pity on me, if not for my sake for Delia's…" _He slowly stood up to find he was still dressed from the night before except for his boots which were neatly standing at the foot of his bed. Carefully he pulled the boots on and started on what felt like a day's march down to the dining room.

Only a few of his companions were downstairs. Aeden and Trent shared a laugh at the bedraggled look of their friend, earning a snort from Alistair.

"Yes, nice. Have a good laugh at my expense. Here I am with my head ready to explode, and all you can do is enjoy my pain and agony. Have either of you seen Wynne? Maybe she will care how much I am agonizing and help me."

Trent smiled at his soon to be son in law. "I believe she went to the study once she finished her breakfast. I would look for her there."

"Thank you." He slowly walked to the study and was greeted by the two dogs barking excitedly for him. "Yes, yes I'm very glad to see the two of you too, but would you please keep it down? My head hasn't felt this bad in what seems like a lifetime!"

The dogs quieted and walked beside him as he made his way across the room to where Wynne sat with her knitting. She looked up at him, a frown crossing her face.

"Oh, dear. You look almost as if the darkspawn marched an army over you! Did you overindulge last night?"

He tried to smile, but it hurt to even use those muscles. "I swear to you, Wynne, I only had my glass refilled twice all night. The brandy must have been extra strong – I can usually hold my liquor better than this. I feel miserable… wouldn't you pleeeeease take pity on me and shoot a healing spell my way? Please Wynne – you wouldn't want Delia's wedding day to be spoiled by her groom looking like he fell out of a hayloft, would you?" He tried again to smile at her imploringly, but instead he grimaced in pain.

Wynne chuckled. "We wouldn't want anything to put a damper on Delia's day… yours either, believe it or not." She placed her hand on his forehead and used her magic to remove his hangover. "There now, does that feel better?" she said as she grinned at him.

"Oh, much better. Thank you, Wynne. You have no idea how much I appreciate that." He took her hand and kissed the knuckles.

"Enough, young man," she laughed as she took her hand away from him. "Go get something to eat and then clean yourself up. You do not look presentable for your wedding at all! Do you even have something to wear?"

"Uh, no, not yet. Aeden said he would help me find something from a merchant when we go to get Brother Burkel. I want to find something nice so I don't embarrass Delia." His face took on a faraway look as he sighed. "Today is going to be the best day of my entire life!"

Wynne smiled warmly at him. "Then go, eat your meal and get the day started!"

She watched as the warden nearly jogged out of the room and settled back to her knitting. She hoped to finish the extra-large scarf she was working on before they set out on the next part of their journey. Poor Sten didn't have a proper cloak, and a scarf would help to keep him a bit warmer in the cold weather they faced…

Delia didn't wake until there was a soft knock at her door. After she pulled a dressing robe on she opened the door.

"Ah, dearie I knew you'd be wanting some breakfast, but it would never do for you to see your groom the mornin' of your wedding!" Deirdre seemed to take command as she pushed into the room carrying a platter of oatcakes and jam with a pot of hot tea. "T'would be bad luck indeed, and I won't stand for anything getting in the way of a happily ever after!"

Delia smiled warmly at her but was confused when Deirdre set two place settings on the table in front of the fireplace. "And who are you expecting to join me?"

"Leliana asked me to bring enough for two. I expect she'll be along in a moment. Don't hesitate to ask if you need anything." With a grin, the dwarf left her alone, but that was changed shortly when Leliana knocked.

The two women enjoyed their breakfast and conversation. They were laughing over something silly when they heard a scratching sound at the door. Leliana walked to the door and opened it and in walked a very dejected looking Griffon.

"Oh, mon chien cher, what happened to make you look so sad?" As she bent down to hug the dog she heard a small voice in the hallway.

"Griffon? Oh, there you are. I'm sorry Momma wouldn't let you out, but the wardens said you had to stay here." Jessop poked his head into the room. "I'm sorry to disturb you, m'lady. I wanted to make sure Griffon was alright."

Delia smiled at the boy. "I'm glad you care so much about him. You said he wanted to go with the wardens? Do you know where they went?"

"Aye, they went to Orzammar to get Brother Burkel. Momma said they'd be back after lunch. Griffon wanted to go with them 'cause I think he wants to get outside."

"Hmm, I wonder… would you be able to do me a huge favor? Griffon _has_ been cooped up a lot, and so has Dusty. Do you think you could convince you mother to let you take the two dogs outside for a romp? They need someone to throw sticks for them and allow them to just be regular dogs for a bit."

Jessop's face brightened. "Aye, Momma said that I was to help out however I needed to today. If you said it would be a help, Momma would let me."

Delia smiled at him warmly as Griffon's demeanor also seemed to brighten. "Alright then, Griff, help Jessop find Dusty and the two of you behave yourselves. I don't want to hear that you've given the lad any trouble, do you hear me?" She reached over and scratched the dog's head, earning a sound from him that seemed to be almost like he was trying to talk. "Don't keep them out for all too long, Jessop. As soon as your hands start to feel cold, you must bring them back in."

Jessop stood as tall as he could. "Yes'm. I'll bring them back here when we come inside. Come on then, Griffon. Let's find Dusty!"

The boy and the dog rushed off, earning chuckles from the women.

"You will be a wonderful mother, Delia," Leliana commented.

Delia sighed. "I hope the Maker will allow me to be one. I would love to have Alistair's child someday."

Leliana had Delia sit in front of the mirror so she could begin to create the elaborate hairstyle she had planned for her friend. She tried several different ideas but nothing seemed to be_ right_. Wynne came into the room while Leliana was scrutinizing her fourth attempt.

"Leliana, what did Delia's hair do to deserve to be abused in that manner?" the elder woman gasped. "It looks as if you are creating a bird's nest!"

"Oh, Wynne, I want her hair to be beautiful, but I am at a loss. All the elaborate styles I learned in Orlais just aren't working for Delia."

Wynne drew closer and looked at the mass of teased hair on Delia's head and sighed. "This will hurt to brush out." She put her hand up and chanted some words they didn't recognize and Delia's hair detangled itself. "I would suggest something much more simple and elegant. Perhaps a simple chignon? That way her hair can shine in the firelight."

Leliana agreed, and just as she finished placing the last hairpin in place there was a knock on the door. It was Jessop, returning the two hounds.

"We had a great time, my lady!" he said breathlessly. "We played fetch and the two of them played tugs for a bit, but we also took care of a very important job. Do you want to know what that job was?" He looked at her like he was letting her in on a huge secret.

"What job was that, Jessop?" Delia asked as she whispered to him conspiratorially.

The boy reached outside the door and brought in a full bouquet of spring flowers. "The dogs helped me find these crocuses for you. Momma said you needed flowers for the wedding, an' these would be the only ones right now. I hope you like them." He smiled at her shyly.

Delia beamed at the boy. "Oh, Jessop, these are perfect! I couldn't have asked for any flowers more beautiful. They are more than beautiful – they are extra special. Do you know why?"

He shook his head. "Because you picked these especially for me, with the help of the dogs, of course. I think that earns you a special honor at today's ceremony, don't you think so as well, Leliana and Wynne?"

The two women assented and Delia continued. "For the ceremony today, someone will need to be responsible for sitting with Dusty and Griffon, as they are very important members of our group. They will need someone who will show them where they should sit and who will be making certain that they get as much food as they want! Would you be our hound master for the day? It would mean a great deal to both Alistair and me if you would."

Griffon and Dusty both woofed their approval as their tails wagged wildly. Jessop's eyes went wide. "Me? You want me to have such an important job?" As Delia nodded and smiled, the boy gave her a strong hug. "I would be honored. I love these dogs as if they were my own. Thank you, my lady."

Delia told him she would send the dogs to him when it was time and that Wynne would show him where they should sit, then he ran off excitedly to tell his parents. The women were finishing styling Leliana's hair when Deirdre came with lunch for them, tears in her eyes.

"Delia, dear, you have no idea what you've done for my boy. He couldn't be more excited to be your hound master today. I know it's something you made up for him, but he's so proud! And he can't wait to help with the dogs."

Delia grinned. "I am so glad. He's a sweet boy."

"After you eat, you'd best start dressing, dear. Your personal warden is back from Orzammar and honestly, I think if he has to wait for too long he's going to hyperventilate and fall over! He's as nervous as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs, I tell you!" Deirdre laughed as she left the room, leaving the women in stitches.

They ate quickly and then Wynne and Leliana went to their rooms to dress for the wedding. Delia walked over to where her dress was hanging and carefully put it on. She tightened the lacing and looked at herself in the mirror. The emerald necklace that Justine gave to her was perfectly framed by the neckline of the dress with her warden amulet tucked deeper into her décolletage but still visible. She rather liked the effect, as she still was able to proudly display her attachment to the wardens.

A soft knock on the door made her turn and bid them to enter. The door opened and Trent walked in. His eyes grew watery as he looked at his daughter.

"You are beautiful, Delia. Your mother would be so proud of you." He smiled softly at his daughter and pulled a small drawstring bag from his pocket. "I'd like you to have this. It's… the only thing I have from Landra, but it is your wedding day and you need to have something of your mother's. I know that she will be watching over you today from the Fade."

Delia opened the pouch and took out a pendant with a small Andrastian pendant. "This means so much to me, Trent, but I won't keep it. I will wear it proudly today and return it to you afterward. Someday you can will it to me, but in the meantime you need to have it so that you can have a piece of mother close to your heart. Would you please help put it on?"

He took the chain and carefully placed the pendant around her neck, fastening it at the back of her neck. As they looked at themselves in the mirror, Trent noticed for the first time the ways that his daughter took after him… she had the same nose and chin shape, but her eyes and cheekbones were those of her mother. He missed Landra more than he had in a long time at that moment and he sighed in that brief moment of sadness. Forcing a grin to his face, he turned his daughter to face him.

"Are you ready, my dear? If you are, we should get the ceremony started before Alistair passes out. I swear I have never seen a man so nervous for no reason before!"

Delia chuckled. "He doesn't like to be the center of attention is all. He'll be fine." She took her father's arm and led him out of the door. Trent told the two dogs to find Jessop and then he led his daughter down the hallway toward the stairs where Leliana was waiting for them. She was acting as Delia's honor attendant and was dressed in a simple sapphire blue dress.

"Well, what do you think?" Leliana asked as she spun around to show off her dress. "Do you think I will attract the attention of a handsome single man?"

Trent looked at her appreciatively. "There is no doubt in _my_ mind that you will. Is there someone in particular you would like to have notice you?"

Leliana smiled coyly. "Ah, a woman must keep her secrets, yes? Otherwise how do you know that _you_ are not the single man I have my eye on?"

"Most likely because I am old enough to be your father as well as Delia's, my dear. I think you have a very good chance at having a younger and far more handsome man on your arm by the end of the evening."

She winked at him. "Younger, maybe, but never more handsome. But enough about me, it is _your _day, Delia! Shall we start the ceremony?"

Delia smiled warmly at her friend – the woman who had become her sister. "Yes, Leliana. I am more than ready to finally become Alistair's wife." She took Trent's arm once again as Leliana nodded and started to walk down the stairs.


	62. Chapter 62

**_I'm not certain if I will get another chapter posted this week, as it is Christmas and I am a musician and mom... too much to do and too little time! If I don't get another posted, I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas. I dedicate this chapter to all of you who are following my story, especially to Liso66, Warrose, Elizabeth-chan, Harmakhis, and KCousland who's regular reviews have made my days and made me laugh! Thank you so much and I hope you enjoy this chapter!_**

Chapter 62: Wedding Day Part 2

Leliana led the way down the stairs, her appearance marking the start of the ceremony. Gorshep had hired a small group of dwarven musicians who started to play a traditional wedding tune as soon as they noticed the bard's arrival. As Delia turned down the stairs she caught sight of her groom. Once their eyes met he visibly relaxed and he flashed his lopsided smile to her. She couldn't stop smiling as Trent led her down the stairs.

Alistair looked very handsome in the dark blue doublet Aeden helped him to find at the market. It had silver embroidery down the front that resembled vines. Once Delia was at his side they made a striking pair. Trent handed her over to her groom after placing a kiss on her cheek and shaking Alistair's hand. Alistair looked at his bride and whispered, "You are absolutely beautiful!" as he gently kissed her hand.

The bride and groom couldn't keep their eyes off each other and were barely aware of the words coming from Brother Burkel's mouth. Alistair had to be poked by Aeden, his honor attendant, when it was time for him to actually take his vows! When it was time for the exchange of rings, Delia handed her bouquet of crocuses to Leliana and faced her beloved. He placed a thin band that matched the ironwood engagement ring and then lifted her hand to his lips, placing a soft kiss on top of the rings to "seal" them in place. Delia's ring for Alistair was a simple silverite band with a thin rectangular ruby set into the top and runes for protection inscribed on either side of the stone.

Once Brother Burkel pronounced them husband and wife Alistair pulled Delia to him and gave her a passionate kiss in front of all their friends, earning a whoop of appreciation from Zevran. Delia blushed as the group rushed toward them and both were overwhelmed by their friends' hugs and kisses. Alistair even allowed Zevran to give him a tight hug saying something about it being a special occasion!

Deirdre outdid herself with the wedding feast. The table was filled with food and drink and large candelabras were located throughout the room making the room sparkle. The musicians started to play dance music and Alistair held his hand out to his new wife so they could lead the first dance. Delia thought she had never seen him look anywhere near as happy and he seemed to lose any inhibitions he had previously shown about dancing as they swooped across the floor.

After their first dance they each took turns dancing with the other members of their party with Trent and Wynne being given the honor of the second dance with the bride and groom. After dancing for about an hour, Aeden passed glasses of sparkling wine to everyone with the help of Leliana and Zevran as he called for a toast.

"I think I speak for everyone here when I say how happy we are for both of you, Alistair and Delia. Who would have thought when we met in Ostagar that we would be here today, standing as witnesses as the two of you married? I know that I feel very fortunate to have both of you in my life: Delia as the little sister I never had and Alistair as the best friend I have _ever_ had." He beamed at the bride and groom as he raised his glass. "I would like to propose a toast to the happy couple – to good health, great happiness, success in all your endeavors and a very long life for both of you!"

As their friends agreed to the sentiments Aeden articulated, they drank the toast. Alistair and Delia were both moved by Aeden's words and after Alistair gave him a manly hug Delia gave him a kiss on the cheek.

Oghren walked over to the musicians and asked them to play a traditional dwarven dance of celebration. As the first notes wafted through the room, the dwarven warrior started to dance. He called the other men to join him, and Alistair found himself dragged out to dance by Trent and Aeden. The men formed a circle and followed Oghren's lead as the dwarf showed them the intricate foot work and difficult knee bends that made up the dance. The symbolism of the dance was meant to wish the groom vitality and fortitude, and although the men stumbled through the dance they were laughing and enjoying themselves, Alistair laughing at himself so hard that he fell onto his behind and was helped up by Zevran and Gorshep.

Toward the end of the celebration, Gorshep and Deirdre called for everyone's attention. Gorshep had brought in a table made from a slab of black granite along with a chisel and a hammer. Deirdre held a piece of stone that was carved into a circle as well as two braided lengths of leather cord.

Gorshep cleared his throat. "I know that you believe in the Maker, but I thought it would be nice to have one of our most special traditions kept for your marriage. Alistair and Delia, we believe that we come from the stone, and when we make our wedding rings they are created from one stone that is split into two as part of the ceremony itself. The stone we chose for you is silver granite: silver to represent the Grey Wardens and granite because it is the strongest and most prized stone. We hope that you will accept these as our wish for your marriage to be as strong as the stone itself."

With that, Gorshep placed the circle onto the table, found a spot for the chisel point, and hit it one time with the hammer. The ring split into two perfect halves. Gorshep smiled at his friends.

"We have to polish these up for you, but tomorrow they'll be ready."

Delia and Alistair were moved almost beyond words. "Gorshep, this means a great deal to us, I hope you know that. We appreciate everything you've done, not only today, but for all of us during our stay here at Warden House. We are truly blessed to have friends like you and your family." Alistair walked to the dwarf to shake his hand and Delia gave Deirdre a warm hug.

The music started again, and several of the party members took to the dance floor. Aeden asked Leliana if she would dance with him, earning a look of approval from Delia. With all of their companions busy either dancing or in deep conversations Alistair took the opportunity to take his wife by the arm and quietly lead her away. The two quickly made their way up the stairs toward Delia's room, but as she was about to open the door he pulled her back.

"It's our wedding night. You can't just walk through that door, my love," he said with a glint of mischief in his eyes. Putting his arm around her waist, he swept her into his arms and carried her across the threshold. After kicking the door closed behind them, he kissed her fully and then set her down gently on the bed. He quickly walked back to the door and locked it, but as he walked back toward his bride he did a double take and walked over to one of the chairs, picked it up, and leaned it against the door under the door knob.

"Worried that Zev might try to join us?" she asked him innocently.

His eyes smoldered as he replied. "Maybe… but I refuse to share. I want tonight to be the perfect time, the perfect place, and that means you and me and no one else."

Alistair walked back to Delia and pulled her into his arms, kissing her more passionately than he ever had. She melted into his arms, ready to give herself to the man she loved more than anything in the world.

Downstairs the party was winding down. Brother Burkel had already been escorted to a room for the night and Shale had stationed herself next to the fireplace in the study. Oghren had passed out in the corner nearest the foyer. Deirdre, knowing that he wouldn't wake before the morning, had gently covered him with a blanket. Sten was the first to leave for his quarters, although he made certain to sneak a half dozen cookies into a napkin to bring with him.

Leliana was flirting with Aeden when Trent walked over to them. "I'm sorry to interrupt, Aeden, but we should take the dogs outside and check on the horses before we turn in?"

The warden reluctantly agreed. Taking the bard's delicate hand into his he kissed her knuckles gently. "Until tomorrow, Leliana. In the meantime, I shall have to make do with the memory of how beautiful you look tonight to feed my dreams." He walked away with Trent as they called the hounds to their sides.

Leliana sighed. She had hoped that she would have had the pleasure of Aeden's company for more than the few dances they shared, but perhaps there was a thread of hope from his last comments. She bade her remaining friends goodnight and walked upstairs. Her curiosity got the better of her when she heard some unusual sounds coming from Delia's doorway. Putting her ear to the door, she stood there, with a smile on her face, listening for longer than she thought. Suddenly there was a hand on her shoulder and she turned around to see Aeden with a grin on his face.

"Now, now, Leliana… I believe the two of them deserve some privacy, even if they are being rather _raucous_. Let's leave them be, shall we?" He took her hand in his and led her to her quarters, then kissed her hand again. "I want you to know how much I enjoyed spending time with you tonight. You are an incredible dancer, and I certainly hope to have the pleasure of dancing with you again in the future. Sleep well."

As he started to turn to walk to his own room, Leliana reached out and pulled his face down to hers. As she kissed him, he relaxed from his initial shock and placed his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him. When she finally released him from the kiss, Leliana smiled coquettishly. "I couldn't let you get away quite so easily, my dear warden. Now I can wish you a good night. Pleasant dreams." She released him and gracefully moved through her doorway, smiling at him as she shut the door behind her.

Breathless from the kiss, Aeden simply stood and stared at Leliana's door for a minute before he was able to pull himself together and walk to his own room. As he opened the door and walked across the threshold he smiled and thoughts of what exactly might be happening started to wind their way through his thoughts. Somehow he expected his dreams that night would be much more pleasant than his usual darkspawn infested fare!

Morrigan walked up the stairs and as she headed down the hall she heard strange noises emanating from Delia's room. As she drew closer she shook her head in disgust. "Tis bad enough she married the fool, but these sounds are simply sickening!" She hurried into her room with disgust on her face and quickly shut the door behind her.

Zevran came up the stairs next and hearing the commotion sounding through Delia's door made him stop. With a wide grin he placed his ear against the door.

"Ah, that's my boy! He did remember a few things from last night. Now make sure you… yes… yes you are being a very bad Chantry boy, aren't you! Heh, heh…" He looked up and noticed he was looking into the eyes of a very unhappy elder mage. "Ah, my dear Wynne, you are as intrigued by the warden's first attempts at love making as I am, no?" She shook her head at him and he moved away from the door. "I suppose you would not be, but perhaps I could interest you in partaking of your own pleasures for the night? I am certain that I could perform my own version of magic with your bosom…"

"Zevran," she snapped, "I have told you time and again that it will never happen. Now, I suggest you go to your room and leave the newlyweds alone."

He sadly walked toward his room and as he opened the door he looked back at her and smiled invitingly. Nodding toward his room, he teased, "Are you certain I cannot tempt you, my dear Wynne? My offer still stands…"

"Go to sleep, Zevran," she chortled as she shooed him into his room. Once his door was closed, her own curiosity started to take over as the sounds from the newlyweds' bedroom caught her attention.

As she placed her own ear against the door, her hand quickly moved to her own mouth in surprise. "Oh, dear! Where could Alistair have learned anything about doing _that_?"

A hand gently grabbed her shoulder and she turned to find Trent looking at her in amusement with Griffon at his side. "I would have expected to see Zevran here, or even Leliana, but you, Wynne? This is quite a surprise!"

Wynne blushed. "I actually just finished removing Zevran's ear from the door just before you arrived…"

Trent laughed softly. "Yes, I'm sure you did. However, I think it's time for you to take your own advice then… goodnight Wynne."

Embarrassed, the mage smiled at him. "Yes, goodnight Trent. I'll… see you at breakfast." With that she walked across the hallway to her own room and quietly entered, softly shutting the door behind her.

Trent looked at Griffon and chuckled. "I suppose I'll have to ask you to guard their door." The hound whimpered softly. "I know, you'd rather be near a fireplace, but I'll get you a blanket. Keep guard until I get you in the morning and make sure no one else eavesdrops on them. I'll be back in a second." He walked to his room and brought back a thick blanket for the dog, laying it in front of the newlyweds' door. "Delia and Alistair will appreciate what you are doing for them, my friend. I hope you can sleep with all that racket!"

As Trent retreated to his room, Griffon looked at his retreating form with a soft whine. He then circled the blanket three times before he lay down on top and tried to sleep. The noise from within the room was too loud, however. Poor Griffon lay there all night; the hound's paws over his ears as he tried to _not_ hear what noises flowed through the door!


	63. Chapter 63

Chapter 63: Confidence

As the first rays of sunshine illuminated the room, Delia slowly woke. A smile crossed her face as she found herself held tight against her new husband's chest, as if she were a favorite stuffed toy held by a child. His face looked utterly peaceful, and she hated to disturb him but she needed to take care of her morning necessities. She extricated herself as gently as possible from his embrace and slipped into the bathroom. When she returned to the bed she found Alistair facing her with a huge smile on his own face.

"Well, good morning my love," Delia purred as she returned to the warmth of the bed. "I trust you slept well?"

He chuckled deeply as he pulled her close to him. "I don't think I've ever slept better. I was just thinking about it, actually, and I realized something important." He looked at her and gently kissed her forehead. "I never had anyone who I could truly say was my family before. Now _you_ are my family and no one can ever take that away from me. I am a very lucky man."

Delia snuggled closer to him and sighed happily. "And I am a very lucky woman. The Maker has blessed us, hasn't he?"

A knock on the door interrupted their comfortable repartee. "Warden… you have to open the door for me. This platter isn't getting any lighter!"

Growling his displeasure, Alistair got out of bed and put on a dressing robe, removed the chair from in front of the door and allowed Deirdre to enter the room. She smiled warmly at Alistair and then at Delia, who had pulled the bed covers up to her chin.

"Ah, don't mind me, dearie. I just thought the two of you would like some breakfast up here by yourselves. I'll be getting right out of your way." She set the tray on the desk and immediately started out of the room. "Now don't be doing anything I wouldn't do… not that there's much I wouldn't do!" They could hear the dwarf woman laugh all the way down the hallway, and the newlyweds simply laughed as they blushed at her innuendo.

Alistair placed a few logs on the fire and brought Delia's dressing robe to her. "I don't know about you, but I'm hungry and whatever it is that Deirdre brought sure smells really good. Let's eat something and then maybe we could snuggle back under the covers?" He raised a hopeful eyebrow at his wife, earning a chuckle from her.

"Alright, Alistair, but only because I know how much you need to eat." As she put on her robe, Alistair took the plate covers off their breakfast plates.

"Hmmmm…. Looks like she made eggs of some sort and some fried potatoes. Wait… is that cheese in the eggs? And some ham?" Alistair looked happily confused.

"It's called an omelet, Alistair. Haven't you ever had one before?"

He took a bite and grinned while he chewed. "I would remember if I had ever had anything this good before. The Chantry only had porridge for us in the morning. Anytime we had eggs it was just eggs, with nothing mixed in."

Delia looked at her omelet. "It looks as though Deirdre put extra cheese in your omelet. I think she likes you," she smiled at him teasingly.

"Well, she's a nice lady and all, but _I'm taken_." He smiled at her as he took another large bite of the omelet.

While they spent the morning in their room, Aeden was downstairs making plans. It was time to travel to Redcliffe and talk to Arl Eamon about the Landsmeet. Aeden wasn't sure how Alistair would react knowing that it would be inevitable that he would be put forth as king, but it had to be done. The rumors Aeden heard in the market were tormenting him. It seemed that Loghain had been battling against his own people of the Bannorn and the people were worrying that there would be no one left to fight the darkspawn. Loghain needed to be stopped once and for all, and the country needed to focus on the Blight.

Aeden was worried as well about actually seeing Eamon and Teagan again. He knew very well that Teagan had his eye on Delia, and he didn't think the man would take the news of her marriage to Alistair well. is His concern grew as he thought of what Eamon's opinion of the match would be. Delia's father would only be a hindrance to their position at the Landsmeet, as the Banns would most likely accuse Bann Loren of positioning himself for greater power. There had to be a way to get Alistair the throne without Delia getting in his way. Aeden knew his friend wouldn't like what he had to say, but Alistair would have to listen to his reasoning.

It was nearly lunchtime when the newlyweds finally decided to make their appearance. As they walked into the dining room they were greeted by hushed laughter and odd glances from their friends. They both were becoming nervous and self-conscious until Zevran broke the awkward silence.

"Ah, my dear Alistair, I cannot begin to tell you how proud I am. From the little information we were able to glean from your bedchamber door last night, I do believe you retained quite a bit of information from our man to man talk the night before!"

Alistair looked at him in shock. "What! Do you mean to tell me you were listening in? To… us? When we were… Maker…"

"Well, my dear boy, you certainly made it easy. You were rather… loud." Wynne couldn't help the laughter that erupted from her mouth after her statement.

The newlyweds both blushed in a matching shade of crimson as they sat at the far end of the table. Delia tried to comfort Alistair, telling him their friends would eventually let it go, but he refused to look up. The two ate their lunch in great discomfort, as their friends kept laughing at their expense. It was actually a relief when Aeden asked if he could speak to them in the library when they were finished.

Once they settled into their chairs Aeden cleared his throat. "Trent and Sten brought Brother Burkel back to the Chantry this morning leaving me time to think. So… I've been doing a lot of thinking. Tomorrow we need to leave for Redcliffe at first light. I want to be there as soon as possible because from what rumors I've been hearing from the merchants it seems Loghain is destroying the Banns who oppose him. He's systematically destroying any chance to defeat the Blight without our allies." He looked sadly at Alistair before he continued to speak. "Alistair, I hate to say it, but I think we really need to put you on the throne."

"You know that isn't what I want," he stated firmly.

"I know, my friend, but unfortunately Ferelden needs you. If we don't get Loghain away from the throne the entire country will be destroyed. His own lust for power is destroying the very country he claims to love. There is something else that I'll have to ask you to do that neither of you will be happy about."

Both Alistair and Delia looked worried. "Oh? And what is that, Aeden?" Alistair asked grimly.

"I think we need to keep your marriage a secret, at least until after the Landsmeet."

"What? Why?" Alistair was confused and visibly upset. Delia placed her hand on top of his to calm him.

"To be honest, I'm worried about Eamon's reaction to your marriage, but it's truly mainly because I am worried about the Landsmeet's reaction to your being married to the daughter of Bann Loren. They may see your marriage as Loren's attempt to take the crown for himself. He is notorious for playing political games, and we can't afford for the Banns to see you as his puppet."

Delia sadly nodded her head. "Aeden is right. It is something they could very easily see my father doing. Alistair, you must be seen as your own person – Ferelden's strength."

He took her hand in his. "But you _give_ me my strength. I don't think I can handle the Landsmeet without you."

"I can still be there - as the Grey Warden recruit. We just need to be… discreet about the wedded bliss part of our relationship." She smiled warmly at her husband. "It could be fun in a way… keeping our love a secret from the outside world. And I think Aeden is right to worry about Eamon's reaction to… us. He may easily think that I'm not good enough for his future king."

Aeden looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "So… are you feeling the same way about Eamon as I am then? That he intends to be Alistair's puppeteer?"

She nodded as she looked down. "I believe that Eamon wants the throne for himself, but knows he cannot have it. He sees Alistair as someone he can manipulate to do as he pleases, but we know better." She looked at her husband with adoration. "My love, you are strong and intelligent, and you know what the people need. Unfortunately you need to play some political games right now, for the sake of our country. In some ways, you have to be very much like your father when he was saving us all from Orlais. Be careful who you trust from now on. You even have to be wary of us, your closest friends and allies, because we may give you advice that is wrong for any given situation. Your opinion is the one that is most important from now on, but you have to play Eamon in order to have his political power to get what you need for the time being."

Alistair ran his hand through his hair nervously. "I don't know if I can do this. I never learned how to play these political games. How can I survive if I don't trust anyone?"

Delia stood up and walked behind her husband, putting her arms around his neck and hugging him from behind. "You _can_ trust us; just don't do something simply because we say to. We may not know the whole picture. I will never try to steer you wrong, my love, because I love you and want you to succeed. It will actually make you look stronger politically if you _don't_ agree with everything that Aeden or I say or act exactly as we advise because it will show to the Banns that you keep your own counsel and decide issues yourself."

Aeden looked at his friend more seriously than he ever had. "Alistair, I pledge to you my loyalty. You are my best friend, and I truly believe you are the man we need to save Ferelden. I am behind you all the way, and I will never turn on you. I am your blade, your friend, your advisor; I pledge to protect you and would give my life to save yours. This I swear."

Alistair kissed his wife's hand and then reached out to grab Aeden's hand across the desk. "You have no idea how much you mean to me, Aeden. You are the brother I never had. Thank you for your loyalty. I promise I will make you proud to be my second. As to keeping my marriage a secret," he sighed sadly, "I suppose you are both right. But as soon as the Landsmeet is over, I will be crowing it from the rooftops of Denerim." He smiled mischievously at his wife. "You'd best beware at that point, woman! There'll be no holding me back!"

She kissed him on his cheek. "I certainly hope not, my husband. In the meantime, just know that I am here at your side and I will _never_ leave you. I have faith that everything will work out the way the Maker intends."

The three walked to the study to tell the rest of the group their plans. At first, their companions were surprised to learn that the wedding would be kept a secret, but they understood the reasoning of the wardens and agreed to their request. No one looked forward to returning to the road after being spoiled by the comforts of the Warden House, but they knew they needed to get back to fighting the Blight.

Aeden and Delia spent the rest of the afternoon searching for books on Ferelden political policy in the library. They tried to point out important and difficult decisions to Alistair while they also took notes to help tutor him while they continued their travels. Both of them wanted Alistair to be prepared for the intricacies of the nobles' maneuverings so that he could show himself as more than simply competent from the moment he set foot in the Landsmeet. Alistair actually was a quick learner, and his knowledge of history from his studies at the Chantry helped him tremendously as he pieced together the policies with the world events to understand why things were decided the way they were.

As his knowledge grew his confidence also grew. Alistair started to believe that he not only could be king, but with the help of his wife and best friend he would be a great king. His father started to appear to him in a different light as well. He discovered that Maric's wife had died long before he was conceived by his mother, and started to believe that his father might have been involved with his mother to comfort him as he grieved for the woman he loved. Alistair started to feel compassion for the father he never knew and he compared what he felt for his own wife to what Maric must have felt for Rowan. As he looked at Delia, who had come to mean everything to him, he couldn't help but wonder how he might feel if he lost her. Shaking the thought out of his mind, he got back to work.

Aeden asked Gorshep for permission to borrow several of the books. He promised to arrange for their return in the future, to which Gorshep simply laughed. "The books here belong to the Wardens. You return them or you don't – I don't think anyone would ever know one way or the other. I'm just glad they can help you somehow."

After the evening meal, Gorshep and Deirdre invited all the members of the group to the study for an after dinner drink. They brought some Nevarran brandy up from the wine cellar and poured generous glasses for everyone. As he stood in front of the fireplace with everyone's attention on him, Gorshep cleared his throat and stammered before he finally was able to pull the words from his mind.

"I've never been one to give speeches, an' I'm sure I'm not the most well spoken person around, but I wanted to thank every one of 'ya. Most wardens are good people, but you all have been generous, polite, undemanding and kind. I know I am speaking on behalf of my wife and my boy when I say we think of you all as being sort of an extended family of ours. Come back and stay with us any time you find yourselves in our neck of the woods. That goes for every one of you, not just the wardens!" He laughed heartily, slapping his knee loudly in the process.

Deirdre walked to the newlyweds and handed each of them a small felt bag. "Your dwarven rings are in here. They'll be too big for your fingers, but we put a lanyard on 'em so you can wear them around your necks."

Delia and Alistair were taken aback when they removed the rings from their bags. They were smooth as silk, polished to perfection, and they even sparkled from the small bits of mica trapped within the stone.

"Deirdre and Gorshep, I don't know how to thank you. These are so beautiful! I know that Delia and I will treasure these always." Alistair leaned over and gave his hostess a kiss on the cheek, making her blush.

"A toast then," continued Gorshep, "to all our new friends. May Delia and Alistair have a long and happy life together, may that bugger of an archdemon die quickly, and may we all live through this Blight to be able to reunite in the future."

As they raised their glasses for the toast, each member of the group looked around the room. They all knew that no matter how many dangers they had already faced, what they would be facing in their near future would test them in ways they couldn't begin to imagine. The only thing that made the fear bearable was their belief and trust in each other. Somehow this rag tag group had become a family of a sort, and nothing would break them apart. Their faces reflected their optimism and hope, and the warmth of the brandy going down their throats solidified their confidence that somehow they would survive this Blight together.


	64. Chapter 64

Chapter 64: On the Road Again

Delia was sound asleep when all of a sudden she was woken by a thrashing Alistair. She quickly jumped out of the bed to avoid being struck by his arms which were whipping from side to side. He seemed to be saying something about darkspawn and the archdemon. Worried he might hurt himself, she climbed on top of him and tried to pin his arms to his side, taking a nasty blow to the side of her head in the process.

"Alistair, wake up! You're having a nightmare… wake up!" Her words were getting her nowhere, so she ran to the water pitcher and poured a glass of water. As she dumped the contents onto her husband, he woke from his dream, wiping the water from his face.

"Hey, what was that for? I can't believe you just poured water on me!"

"It was either that or let you beat me to a pulp. You didn't tell me you had such vicious nightmares. I may need to see Wynne." Delia walked to the mirror to examine her face. Her eye was swelling already.

"I hit you? Really? Let me see…" He stood and walked behind her, examining the bruise in the mirror from behind her. "Ouch… I'm sorry, I didn't know my nightmares were violent." He grabbed a healing poultice from his pack and led her to a chair. "Allow me to mend the damage at the very least."

Alistair applied the poultice very gently while he liberally sprinkled the rest of her face with soft kisses.

"Do you have these nightmares often? I might have to start wearing that awful helm that Zevran bought for me back in the hills to protect myself while we sleep." She smiled at him teasingly.

"Perish the thought! I'll not allow my wife's beauty to be hidden from me when we share our bed. But I do have the nightmares a bit often. It's another Grey Warden thing. We sort of… _see_ the archdemon and the darkspawn. I've been told its worse during a Blight, so hopefully after this is over I won't have them so often. I am terribly sorry for hurting you, my love. You know I would never do that purposefully, don't you?" He kissed her again on her forehead before she took his face between her hands and kissed him on his lips.

"I know you didn't mean to hurt me. I have to admit, though, that your healing process is far more interesting than Wynne's."

Alistair chuckled deep in his throat and motioned toward the bed. "I could show you even more interesting ways of ministering to you, my dear."

Delia sighed. "Unfortunately, we'll have to see what you can do tonight in our _tent_. We have to pack and be ready for the road before Aeden sends out a search party. You _know_ he'll send Zev, and he'll want to be between us in bed, and he'll spoil all our fun."

"Maker, never!" Alistair laughed loudly. "Alright, alright, I'll behave myself and behave like a good Grey Warden. But I won't like it!"

"No one said you had to like it," she purred into his ear. "We must take our pleasure when we can, and be responsible when we must."

The two dressed and packed their belongings. Delia carefully folded her wedding dress and Alistair's doublet and put them in the trunk to be carried in the cart. Both Delia and Alistair double checked their potion supplies and made note of anything they needed to resupply. Once they were ready, they walked downstairs to breakfast.

Deirdre had once again outdone herself. She cooked everything the party members had mentioned they especially liked. Each one of them left the house with a full stomach and a happy heart. She didn't forget the dogs – they were each given a hearty meal of leftover mutton.

As the wardens' companions said their goodbyes to their dwarven hosts, Delia took Griffon aside.

"Griff, I know we haven't known each other for very long, but I have come to think of you as my own. I don't want to take your feelings for granted, though, so I wanted to ask you what _you_ want." The deer hound looked at her with his head cocked to the side, as if he didn't understand what she meant. "You have a choice, my friend. You may stay here at Warden House or you may come with us. It is your choice, and I wouldn't blame you at all if you preferred the comfort of staying here over the fighting and dangers we will face."

Griffon stood up and walked to her. He started to lick her face and then jumped around her excitedly. Delia laughed at him. "I guess that means you're coming with us. Thank you, Griffon. It will be good to have you with us." She hugged the deer hound tightly, and then walked to her fellow wardens. They were standing with their host family.

As they said their goodbyes and thanked their hosts, Jessop had a very sad look on his face. Delia knelt down next to the boy and took his hand in hers.

"You will miss Griffon, I bet." He nodded sadly as the dog nuzzled his other hand. "You have been a very good friend to him, but he wants to come with the wardens. However, I promise that we will make every effort to come visit, and maybe someday you can come to Denerim to visit us there."

He looked up at her. "Do you really mean that? We could come to the city?"

"I would love it. We'll stay in touch with your parents, but we must defeat the Blight first. That may take a while, you understand that don't you?"

"Yes'm. I would like to see you, Griff an' the wardens again. But I know you have to fight first." He knelt down and gave Griffon a hug around the big dog's neck. "I'm gonna miss you, Griff, but you fight hard for Delia an' keep her safe." Griffon licked his face and the boy ran back into the house.

The wardens and their friends mounted and started their journey to Redcliffe Castle. Although it was cold, the snow had melted and the ground refrozen so that travel was relatively easy. Aeden decided to set up camp in a glen that he estimated was approximately a half day's travel from the castle. The group immediately fell back into their routine for setting up the camp, although they made the fire a bit larger than normal to provide extra warmth.

Leliana and Aeden left the group to hunt and returned with several rabbits. Wynne volunteered to cook and before long they had a tasty rabbit stew. It was hard to tell if her companions appreciated Wynne's cooking prowess or if it was simply that they were eating something hot to help warm them, but everyone's mood improved dramatically once they had eaten. Sten, Oghren, Morrigan and Shale volunteered to take the night watches so most of the members of the encampment retired to their tents early in an attempt to stay warm.

Alistair and Delia entered their tent shivering. "Maker, I forgot how cold it gets out here. I think I've been spoiled, especially the last couple of nights." He grinned at her and pulled her close.

"Well, we have an advantage tonight then, wouldn't you say? We have two bedrolls and two cloaks along with two warm bodies to keep each other company." Delia giggled as she raced him inside the blankets.

The two held each other close, and their bedroll warmed quickly. As sleep started to overtake them, a soft whine carried through the tent flap. Alistair pushed it open and found Griffon looking at them sadly.

"Are you cold, Griffon?" Delia asked the hound. The dog answered with a whine and a shiver. "All right then, come in and get warm with us."

Alistair frowned. "Do we have to have company? I really don't want to share you, you do know that."

"I know, love, but he _is_ my dog now, and it just seems wrong to make him sleep elsewhere."

"What about with Trent? I'm certain he's cold and would appreciate the company."

Griffon looked at Delia and whined again. "It's your choice, Griff. I have no problem with you sleeping here with us, but I would stay on my side of the bedroll if I were you."

The dog circled around three times and settled down next to Delia. She pulled the top blanket over the hound, earning an exuberant tail wag from him. The three quickly fell asleep, with Delia appreciating having warm bodies on either side of her to keep the cold out.

When they woke the first rays of sunlight were just poking over the horizon. Delia forced Alistair out of the bedroll and they spent some time sparring before breakfast. Aeden rushed the group through the meal as he wanted to reach Redcliffe Castle as soon as possible. The party quickly packed the camp and started off along the well-worn trails toward the castle.

As they traveled down the road the dogs alerted the wardens to trouble ahead. Aeden sent Zevran and Leliana to find out what troubled the dogs. They returned with news of a small group of bandits. Aeden organized his companions into groups. The first group had Alistair, Oghren, Wynne and Shale. They would travel down the road as if they had no idea the bandits lay in wait. Aeden took Sten, Morrigan, Zevran and Leliana to flank the bandits. Trent and Delia were left with the horses and cart, and the two dogs were used as messengers.

The battle went exactly as Aeden planned, and the bandits were quickly dispatched. Aeden noticed that their group was far better armored than any typical bandits or mercenaries, so he kept the one who seemed to be their leader alive to question him. The man refused to answer anything Aeden asked, but when Delia approached his attitude suddenly seemed to change.

"Ah, so Lady Loren does travel with you wardens." He leered at her. "Too bad I won't be able to do anything about that."

"And why are you so interested in Lady Loren?" Aeden grew concerned. "Were you hired to find her?"

"And what if I was? Fat lot a' good it'll you." The bandit laughed. "Not like it'll stop him whether we get her or we don't."

"Who is after her?" Alistair's face flared with anger. "Speak up or I'll give my friend, the Crow, permission to use whatever means necessary to make you speak."

The bandit sneered at him. "And just what would talking get for me? It's death for me, one way or another."

"Well then, you can earn a chance to survive by telling us. Otherwise you'll definitely die." Aeden moved closer to the man, his blade placed menacingly close to his throat.

"You'd let me go?" The man thought for a second. "Do you give me your word?"

"Yes, you have my word, but you will answer all of our questions first. We will release you only when we are satisfied that we have all the information you can give to us."

"Agreed then. I was hired by Teryn Howe to find Lady Loren and return her to him."

Alistair was caught off guard. "Howe? Why does he want her?"

"I'm not exactly sure why, but he's been lookin' for her for a long time. Said something about her being a match for his son, but the way he laughed when he said it made the hair go up on the back of my neck. He's had people looking all over Ferelden, but we got a tip from a merchant that she was in Orzammar, so we were heading there."

"How many others are looking for her?" Aeden probed.

"I don't know exactly. I know of at least two other groups, but where they are now, Maker only knows."

Delia walked up behind the man and put her hand on his shoulder. "Do you have a family – anyone you care about?"

As the man answered about his wife and children, Delia used her gift to determine if what he said was true. He was indeed one of Howe's soldiers, but the man actually was disgusted by the newly named Teryn. Being a soldier was something he tried to perform with honor, but Howe had been acting more malicious with every passing year. The soldier knew how Howe had gained his new title, and he hated the man for his cruel and brutal ways. Only his fear for his family kept him in the Teryn's employ, and he worried constantly for their safety.

"You should send word for your family to meet you elsewhere – perhaps the Free Marches. Howe will not accept you back, not after you've failed in your mission, and we cannot protect your family for you or it will put them into greater danger," Delia stated bluntly.

"You really intend to let me go?" The man seemed truly surprised.

"We know the ways Howe gets what he wants. Don't follow us and find your way out of the country. If we cross paths again we may not be so generous." Aeden declared as he removed his sword from his throat.

The soldier ran away from them as fast as he could, leaving the wardens perplexed and worried. "Let's discuss this later, once we are safely in the castle. Right now I think we need warmth and a good, hot meal." Aeden led them back to their horses, and pushed their speed as he tried to make up the lost time.

When the gates to the castle were finally within sight in the early afternoon, Delia started to feel very nervous. Not only was she reeling from the attack on their group, but she didn't want to face Eamon or Teagan. She dreaded seeing Teagan the most because he wasn't a man to give up on something he wanted, and Delia was afraid he still intended to try to win her over. Alistair wouldn't appreciate Teagan's advances on his wife, even if they needed to maintain the façade of being simply wardens on the same mission.

As they entered the gates her fears were realized. The guards had sent word of their arrival to the Arl, and as they pulled their mounts up to the stairs Teagan rushed out from the castle doors.

"You're back! Maker be praised!" Teagan nearly shouted as he ran up to Delia's horse. As she dismounted, Teagan caught her waist and immediately turned her around to face him, embracing her and leaning in for a kiss.

Instead of the feel of her lips against his own, he received a slap in the face. Alistair tried to bolt over to force the Bann to release his wife, but Aeden stopped him with a hand to his arm. If looks could kill, Delia's glare would have made Teagan drop immediately.

"How dare you, Bann Teagan! I will not allow you to man-handle me. I am a Grey Warden recruit, and you would best remember that. Your behavior is very unbecoming to a man of your station. Release me and do not touch me again."

His hands dropped from her waist and he took a step backward. "I am truly sorry if I have insulted you, my lady. I am truly… relieved that you are home safe and sound."

Her reply came out in an angry hiss. "First, I am a_ Grey Warden recruit._ You may either call me Warden or Delia, but I am no longer a noble. Second, this is not, nor has it _ever_ been my home. Now, if you will _excuse _me, _Bann Teagan._"

Delia handed the reins of her horse to the stable hand and walked over to the two wardens, giving Alistair a quick wink. He relaxed a bit and followed Aeden as he led the group into the castle, leaving a very confused Teagan in the yard. Arl Eamon was waiting for them in the Main Hall, and Aeden wanted to get the initial meeting over with so that he could talk to his friends privately. Somehow he didn't think anything would be easy for them.


	65. Chapter 65

Chapter 65: Discomfort

Aeden walked into the main hall of Redcliffe Castle followed closely by Alistair and Delia while the rest of their group was shown their quarters for the night by members of the castle staff. Arl Eamon was waiting for them in the front of the room near the fireplace. Ser Perth, the Knight Commander, stood by his side. As the wardens approached, Eamon turned toward them. His eyes found Delia, and although he smiled at her, his eyes betrayed his anger.

"Ah, Alistair and Aeden, I can't tell you how glad I am to see you back here. And Delia," he nodded to her, "I am glad to see you are well. I understand you've acquired all the allies you could? That's good… we could call the Landsmeet if you are ready." His face became darker and more guarded before he continued to speak. "I would prefer not giving Loghain time to consider, but it is up to you. I do not wish to go to Denerim unless you are with me."

Alistair straightened his back and released a quiet sigh. "Let's go to Denerim now."

Eamon looked at Alistair with a smile that reminded Delia of a cat that had caught its prey. "Excellent. I shall make the arrangements. Let us be off to Denerim and may the Maker watch over us."

Delia was suddenly feeling concerned. Eamon certainly had something planned that he didn't intend to share with her companions, and she didn't want Alistair to be hurt in any way. She needed to find a way to speak to him alone, or at least with only Aeden with them. She hoped they would have an opportunity in the evening. They needed to discuss the bandits from earlier as well, so perhaps they could have a warden only strategy meeting without alarming their host.

Teagan walked into the hall, receiving Eamon's attention. "Ah, brother, you have excellent timing. Our guests will need lunch and I want to have a feast this evening as we prepare to leave for Denerim. You and I must speak this afternoon to make plans. You will need to remain here for a short time to make certain the castle will be in good hands, but we can talk about that in my study after lunch."

"You don't want me to travel with you to Denerim?" Teagan's eyes were wide. "Surely it would be better if I were at your side at the Landsmeet as a show of support."

"We will discuss it later, but I will need to have you join me later. I will travel to Denerim with the wardens and a few of my soldiers and you can join us later with a larger regiment." Eamon started to walk to the door and spoke to a servant. "My servant will gather your friends. Please follow me to the dining room for lunch. It would please me if we could simply enjoy some pleasant company for now as the Landsmeet will certainly keep us all unpleasantly occupied all too soon."

They walked to the dining room and made their way to the tables. Delia sat next to Aeden with Alistair across from her. Before she knew what was happening, Teagan sat on her other side. She stiffened as he smiled at her.

"I hope you don't mind, my dear, but I would love to hear stories about your journey. I'm certain you must have fascinating tales to tell."

She frowned at him. "I was expecting to have Ser Trent join us."

"I'm sure he wouldn't mind sitting next to Alistair," Teagan replied sweetly. "So… tell me about your travels."

Delia crossed her arms in front of her. "I am not as good a storyteller as Leliana. Perhaps you should ask her. She has a gift for that sort of thing."

He smiled broadly and moved toward her, causing Alistair to straighten his back. "Please indulge me. I have missed the sound of your voice and would love to hear anything you would say."

Delia stood up suddenly. "If you _gentlemen_ would excuse me, I suddenly have no appetite." She walked out of the room and went to her quarters. She thought she might persuade Zevran and Leliana to go into town with her later and she could find something to eat there. Teagan was so infuriating!

The wardens at their lunch with Teagan in silence until Teagan finally decided to speak. "So, I take it that something happened to Delia that she doesn't want me to know about?"

Aeden cleared his throat in warning to Alistair. "I believe Delia has made her intentions clear, Teagan. And I do believe she feels you are pushing yourself on her and your attentions are not… welcome."

He looked at the warden angrily. "And yet you presume to speak for her? Just who do you think you are?"

Aeden held back his temper but shot a warning glare at Alistair to keep him in check. "I am her commander, her friend, and… more."

Alistair raised his eyebrow at his friend who responded with a quick wink. Teagan was furious. "Are you telling me that I was wrong when you left here, that Delia was not involved with Alistair, but it was _you_ who she was interested in? I can't believe it."

"And why not? You know how her mother and my mother constantly pushed us toward each other. After all this time together on the road we started to realize the truth of our feelings. Perhaps you need to accept this fact and move on with your life. Delia has chosen to be a Grey Warden, and she belongs with me. I ask you, as a noble and a gentleman, to end your obsession with her and find someone else. You deserve to be happy, but you will never have _her_."

Teagan angrily pushed away from the table and left the room leaving Alistair grinning broadly at Aeden. "You are brilliant! There's no possible way he can continue to pester her now."

Aeden frowned at his friend. "He may back off a bit, but I don't think we are out of the woods. Not yet, anyway. Let's go find her. I bet she'd like something to eat anywhere but here in the castle."

The wardens left the dining room and made their way to Delia's room. They knocked on her door as they informed her it was the two of them and she unlocked her door and let them in. Griffon greeted the wardens with a soft woof and a wagging tale. When Aeden offered to take her into town to eat she grabbed her cloak quickly and they were off.

Instead of going to the tavern, they made their way to Chloe and Vernon's store. The two were very happy to see Delia again and readily invited her group inside. Chloe brought out fresh bread and cheese to share and they spent several hours chatting and resupplying Delia's herbs and spices.

After their visit, the wardens made their way to the secluded cove that had been Alistair's favorite hiding place as a child. It was cold, but they could be certain that no one would overhear their conversation. Aeden broached the subject of the bandits. Delia told the two men the little information she was able to glean from the captured man before they set him free. The only thing they knew for certain was that Rendon Howe was after Delia and knew that she was alive. They would have to be on their guard in Denerim to protect her.

Aeden brought up the subject of traveling to Denerim with Eamon. Delia and Alistair would need to be extremely discreet, and he revealed to her the pretense he invented after she left the table. Delia thought his idea was very clever, and she agreed to pretend to be keeping a relationship with Aeden a poorly kept secret. She was relieved that Teagan wouldn't be traveling with them. At least she wouldn't have to constantly dodge his advances.

As the sun started to set over the hills, the trio walked back up the path to the castle. They went to their own quarters to ready themselves for dinner. A hot bath certainly felt good after being out in the cold for so long, and Delia took full advantage. She carefully washed her hair and luxuriated in the water until it was becoming uncomfortably cool. Once she dried off she put on the green dress that Zevran bought her the last time they had been at the castle. Since she didn't want to seem flirtatious, she put her hair up in a severe bun. Unfortunately, her dwarven necklace showed quite well in the neckline of the dress, so she made the difficult decision to remove it from her neck and place it in her pocket instead.

Trent arrived at her door to escort her downstairs and so Delia took the opportunity to fill him in on the pretense of a relationship with Aeden. He understood and agreed to pass the word to their companions once they were in the dining room. As they walked through the hallways they passed Teagan as he discussed something with several of the guards. The Bann caught Delia's eye and he smiled at her, earning a smirk from her as she turned her head away.

Dinner was uncomfortable. Delia sat with Trent, Wynne, Leliana, Sten and Zevran. It was easier for her to sit farther from the head table, but she still felt the eyes of Eamon and Teagan on her no matter what she did. As soon as the meal ended, Delia made a point of saying she didn't feel well and was escorted back to her room by Wynne. The two women sat near her fireplace enjoying pleasant conversation and some herbal tea until a knock at the door disturbed them. Wynne walked over and opened the door a crack.

"Yes, may I help you?" she asked the servant who stood outside.

"Bann Teagan asked me to deliver this message to Lady Delia," the servant explained with a small bow.

"I shall give it to her. She has taken ill, and I am attending to her. Please tell Bann Teagan she will be fine in the morning and not to worry."

The servant bowed and left as Wynne shut the door. She walked back to the chairs and handed Delia the note as she sat.

_My dear Delia,_

_I am sorry that I will not have an opportunity to wish you well before you leave in the morning. My brother has several important tasks that I must attend to immediately; however I will rejoin you in Denerim. I hope to be delayed only a day, but that will depend on the outcome of my errands. My best wishes for your illness to depart tonight and for your journey to be free from any trouble. I know you do not wish to hear this from me, but my heart will be with you and I cannot wait to be reunited._

_Yours always,_

_Teagan_

Delia crumpled the note and threw it in the fire. The man just would not give up no matter what they said to him! The day when they could openly tell the world about her marriage could not come fast enough, and she prayed fervently that Teagan would understand and forgive her. He had been a good friend in the past, and she hated the thought that he was being hurt regardless of how she tried to protect him.

Wynne could see the worry in her friend's eyes. "It will all turn out alright, child. It isn't your fault that Teagan won't stop his pursuit. He'll learn in due time about your marriage and then he will understand how you have tried to spare his feelings."

"It's bad enough that he is hurt through all of this, but it's also incredibly difficult staying away from my husband. I have a need to be close to him, and it's almost painful to be so close yet so far away."

The mage chuckled. "I understand, dear. Perhaps we can all help you in that regard. I think we can arrange… opportunities for you to be given a bit of privacy. Let me take care of that for you." The mage winked at her friend and bid her goodnight.

Delia locked the door behind her, but remembering her husband's thoughts on their wedding night she decided to put a chair against the door. Griffon whined at first, but once Delia explained why he settled right down next to the hearth. Delia changed into a night shift and climbed into the bed. She missed the warmth of her husband, but drifted off to sleep quickly. The trip to Denerim would be long and difficult with Eamon in their party, but somehow they would get through it with the help of their friends.


	66. Chapter 66

**_Happy New Year! Thank you all for reading and reviewing and I hope 2011 is a far better year than 2010 for each and every one of you!_**

Chapter 66: Back to Denerim

The journey to Denerim was indeed difficult. It seemed as though Eamon kept his eyes on Alistair the entire time, and the warden prince grew more and more nervous each day. Alistair longed for the comfort of holding his wife close to him, and yet the only time he was able to even speak to her was in casual conversation with other members of their party. Delia tried to ride next to him under the pretense of teaching him more of Ferelden political history, but Eamon was always there, listening to everything they said, even if he occasionally nodded in approval of her tutelage.

Wynne noticed how Alistair was brooding and how Delia sadly watched him from across the camp. Deciding something needed to be done, the mage sat with Aeden to work up a plan. Somehow they needed to distract Eamon and create an opportunity for the newlyweds to have at least a few minutes alone.

Their plan went into effect after they finished their dinner. Aeden walked over to Delia and put his hand on her shoulder, whispering into her ear, "Just play along with me… you'll understand why in a few minutes." She nodded to him as she looked at him in confusion.

"I think it's about time you did the dishes, Delia. You haven't washed them in days… or has it been weeks? The others are accusing me of giving you preferred treatment, and I cannot afford any discord to distract us."

She narrowed her eyes in mock anger. "Why now, suddenly? Does this have to do with our discussion this morning? You said you were fine with it. Now I suppose you aren't?"

With a slight nod to show her that he was following her train of thought, he lowered the tone of his voice to sound angry. "What I _told_ you was that I _would_ be fine with it… eventually. But you are changing the subject. You need to do the dishes tonight. That's an order."

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh is that so? Well then, I suppose I shall have to obey… _commander_." She looked around the camp before asking, "So, now that I know that you've all complained about me, can I at least have _someone_ help me? It's difficult to carry all of these dishes by myself normally, but with the extra people in camp it's even harder."

Wynne took the opportunity to gently nudge Alistair. "Um, I'll help you, Delia." He stood and began to collect dishes as Delia grabbed some drying cloths.

Once they had all the dishes in the carrying crates, Delia turned angrily back to Aeden. "We _will_ continue this later." As she turned to walk the distance to the stream she whistled to Griffon to follow. Once Alistair started to follow her as well, Eamon stood up looking as if he meant to follow the warden. Aeden took the opportunity to clear his throat to get Eamon's attention.

"Arl Eamon, might I have a word with you? I would like your opinion on the subjects we should focus on as we help Alistair prepare for the Landsmeet."

Eamon looked at the retreating Alistair with a small frown and grunted. "I suppose so." He sat next to Aeden and they began to talk about strategy for the Landsmeet.

Trent, in the meantime, had taken the Arl's soldiers to the other side of camp from the stream. They were sharing a drink and telling each other battle stories. He had to admit that it was nice to reminisce with peers, even though he was doing it for the sole purpose of keeping them far from the stream.

Zevran and Leliana sneaked off to the edge of the forest to serve two important functions. The first was to be available as backup fighters in case the newlyweds found themselves attacked. The second, and in this case the more important reason, was to prevent anyone from the camp from following the two to the stream.

When Delia and Alistair reached their destination, Delia told Griffon to stand guard. He was the last line of warning in case anyone would impinge on their privacy. Delia set her crate of dishes next to the water and Alistair followed suit.

Alistair was very confused. "So, love, what did you say to make Aeden so angry at you? It almost sounded like the two of you were having a lovers' spat. You were making me rather nervous."

Delia walked up to him and put her arms around his neck, smiling coyly. "I believe our _commander_ was giving the two of us an opportunity to be alone. It's torture to be so close to you and pretend that you are merely my comrade."

Alistair's face softened as he smiled broadly back at his wife. "Oh! Now I get it. I think I may owe Aeden a special gift."

"Let's get our work done first, and quickly. Then we'll have time just for us." She smiled warmly at her husband as she led him back to the stream.

Time together was quite a motivator for both of them, and the dishes were sparkling clean in almost no time. Alistair sat with his back against a tree and Delia sat in his arms, leaning against his chest. Breathing in the scent of her hair, Alistair finally felt at ease.

"You have no idea how much I've missed this. Just holding you makes everything so much better." He kissed the top of her head.

"I do have an idea. I miss you too. Only a few more days, love. Then we can tell the world about us and we'll never be apart. Not that we're really apart now, but you know what I mean."

He chuckled. "You're almost starting to sound like me." He nuzzled into her hair again.

She smiled warmly at him. "You certainly are rubbing off on me!" They both laughed, but their mood quickly turned darker. "I wish we could have more time, but we shouldn't tarry too long. Eamon will suspect." Delia turned toward Alistair and looked at him sadly. "I want to stay here with you."

"I know, but you're right. It helps to have had at least a few moments alone. I have to make sure to thank everyone back at camp."

"We should keep up the façade of my 'argument' with Aeden. Try to look like you're troubled, or bothered, or angry…"

He laughed aloud. "All I have to do is look confused, just like I always do. Eamon will never know…"

Alistair helped Delia to stand and they took the opportunity to kiss. Then, with heavy sighs, they picked up the crates of clean dishes and walked back to camp. Once they arrived at the campfire, Delia shot Aeden an angry look and went to her tent. Safely inside, she asked Griffon to let Aeden know everything was alright, so the dog walked out to the warden and whined to get his attention. When Aeden looked down at him, Griffon licked his hand and wagged his tail, then went back to Delia's tent. Aeden smiled, knowing it was her way to say thank you.

In the morning, Delia made a point of sparring with Aeden. Eamon seemed disturbed seeing the two of them together, making Aeden feel uneasy. Something was brewing under the surface with the Arl, but Aeden didn't know him well enough to figure it out.

Luckily, the weather held out and travel was fast. They made it to Denerim in only a few more days and went directly to the Arl's estate. Almost as soon as they arrived, as Eamon was leading the wardens and Delia to his personal study, they were met by several people the group didn't want to see. Loghain, Rendon Howe and Loghain's second, Ser Cauthrien walked down the hall toward them. Loghain must have had sentries posted to inform him of their arrival.

"Loghain, this is… an honor, that the regent would find time to greet me personally," Eamon stated gruffly.

"Considering Ostagar, perhaps we need a better general," scoffed Aeden.

Loghain curled his lip at the warden. "And who is this, Eamon. Some new stray you picked up on the road? And I thought it was only royal bastards you played the nursemaid to."

"Well, you're admitting the "royal" part. That's a start," quipped Alistair.

"I am Aeden, of the Grey Wardens," Aeden stated firmly.

Loghain nodded. "You have my sympathies on what happened to your order. It is unfortunate that they chose to turn against Ferelden."

Aeden grew impatient. "Enough of this. When does the Landsmeet begin?"

Ser Cauthrien stepped forward threateningly. "Don't interrupt, churl. Your betters are talking."

Loghain rebuked her. "Enough, Cauthrien, this is not the time or the place." He turned back toward Eamon. "I had hoped to talk you down from this rash course, Eamon. Our people are frightened. Our king is dead. Our land is under siege."

"If you truly want to save this land, stand with us." Aeden stood tall, looking at Loghain with narrowed eyes.

Delia started to be unaware of the conversation as her eyes shifted to Rendon Howe. The way he looked at her frightened her. His eyes looked like a snake as it was about to strike, and he seemed to be sizing her up. She wasn't certain if he realized who she was, but she forced herself to keep her face blank. If she showed any fear, it wouldn't serve any of her friends well. They couldn't show any sign of weakness, and Delia felt as though her fear would do them in.

Loghain and Eamon verbally sparred for perhaps a minute more before Loghain thankfully turned around and left the building, followed by his two minions. Delia breathed in a deep breath of relief, causing Alistair to put his hand on her shoulder in support. He knew instinctively that she must have been terrified, yet she had held herself together admirably.

Aeden and Eamon spoke for a moment about the possible reasons for Loghain's course of action as Delia absorbed strength from Alistair's touch. Eamon suggested that Aeden take a party out to find out where members of the nobility were standing on the issues being brought before the Landsmeet. Aeden decided they would settle into their assigned quarters first, and meet at the main door in an hour. They would take their lunch at the Gnawed Noble Tavern so that they could listen to and observe the nobles easily.

Delia was not happy with their room assignments. Eamon had her on the other side of the building from the two wardens. At least she was near Wynne and Leliana. She settled her pack on the vanity and noticed the brush set from Redcliffe had been brought to Denerim. Seeing them set on the table made her uneasy. Something was being expected from her… something that was yet unspoken, and the sight of the brushes made her shudder. Quickly she opened one of the vanity drawers and placed the set inside, setting her own humble brush and comb in their place.

As soon as she was ready, Delia walked downstairs to the main doors of the estate. Zevran was already there, and he motioned to her that he needed to speak privately.

"My lovely Delia, I have a great deal of discomfort with our current accommodations. I do not like your room being located so very far away from every one of your most dedicated protectors. With your permission, I would like to sneak into your quarters for the nights, purely for your protection, I assure you. I am very… apprehensive at the concept of your being alone."

Delia nodded. "I'll have Griffon with me, but yes, I agree with you. I have to admit, especially with Howe's presence here today, I am unnerved myself." She placed her hand on his arm. "Thank you, mi hermano. I don't know what I would do without you."

The other members of the group Aeden selected to go to the tavern started to show up. Leliana and Wynne came downstairs together, followed by Trent. Finally Aeden and Alistair arrived, both of them looking troubled. A look from Aeden told Delia they would explain later, so the group started off out of the estate.

Both dogs were with them, as Aeden thought they might be valuable in starting conversations. Fereldens loved their mabaris, and the deer hound would be unique. Aeden gambled that Griffon would be an attention grabber, and hoped the nobles would open up much more easily.

They entered the tavern in two groups. Aeden, Alistair, Delia and Leliana, accompanied by the two dogs, entered first. They chose a table close to the door between two occupied tables. Aeden recognized the men at the tables from their visits to Highever. At one table sat Bann Sighard and Bann Ceorlic, and at the other table Bann Wulff sat alone. The wardens ordered their lunch and pretended to converse amiably as they listened to the conversation at the table behind them. The two banns were discussing the upcoming Landsmeet rather briskly. Sighard did not trust Loghain, much to Ceorlic's chagrin, and yet they both agreed that Eamon's plan to put Maric's bastard on the throne was wrong. Alistair frowned as he heard them. They didn't even _know_ him, and it was difficult to listen to their poor opinions of him when he knew they were ignorant.

Wynne, Trent and Zevran arrived several minutes after the wardens. They took a table in the back of the room, next to a table where Bann Bryland sat with Bann Alfstanna. Zevran, who was of course the most skilled in surveillance, took the seat next to the Banns' table. He listened closely to their conversation, learning that they as well questioned Eamon's motives for calling the Landsmeet. The more he heard, the less he trusted the Arl. Perhaps the man truly wanted the throne for himself after all and intended Alistair to be his leverage to gain it.

While the others were listening to conversations, Delia was having an interesting experience. As they sat there, she was able to feel certain things from the Banns. This was something she had never felt before, but she could feel Sighard's loyalty to Ferelden and his distaste for Loghain's actions. She also felt that something was wrong – a family member was missing and he was worried. Ceorlic felt as though he would waver, like her own father, to whichever side would benefit him personally. The person she was getting waves of emotion from was Bann Wulff who sat alone, saying nothing. She could feel his mourning; she could almost hear him calling out the names of his sons in his mind as he tried to make sense of their deaths at the hands of the darkspawn. Delia found herself on the verge of tears, as his intense emotions nearly overtook her.

Her gift had always required her to touch the other person in order to "see" what was inside of them. Justine had always told her that her gift would grow and be more powerful in time, and had given her the emerald pendant to magnify the talent. Perhaps being with a small group of people for such a long time had given her talent the opportunity to blossom without being overwhelmed by the thoughts of too many people at once. Whatever the reason was, it was both unsettling and fascinating to be able to gather all these feelings simply by being near these people.

The wardens' groups remained in the tavern enjoying some ale after their meal until the Banns had all left. At that time, Aeden asked the bartender if there were a private room available, and after agreeing on payment he was given the key to a room in the back of the tavern. Aeden motioned to his friends to follow and they made their way to the room. Once they were there, Zevran checked to be certain there could be no one listening to their conversation, and after he nodded his approval, Aeden started the meeting.

Aeden started by telling what they had learned from Ceorlic and Sighard, followed by Zevran reporting what his group heard from Alfstanna and Bryland. The news didn't seem to be favorable at first, but when Delia spoke it lifted their spirits a bit. If they could prove their allegations against Logain, they felt they would earn the trust of all of these Banns with the exception of Ceorlic. He would need to feel that he would personally benefit from ousting Loghain and that would be difficult.

Alistair and Aeden were more interested in how Delia had come about her information. If her talent was indeed gaining strength, it could be more useful in the days ahead. They needed to know who they could trust, and it could be more than awkward to have Delia touch everyone they needed to know about. If she could get a feeling for their true intentions by simply being near them, they had a distinct advantage.

Aeden also spoke to the group about his earlier conversation with Alistair and Eamon. Eamon was starting to exert his control over Alistair. Although neither warden wanted to allow Eamon to play political games through the prince, the wardens agreed to "play along" with the Arl for the time being. They needed to do whatever it took to defeat the Blight, and if that meant allowing Eamon to believe he controlled their actions it would be a small sacrifice to make.

Before they left their room, the group decided to get another ale while they gave Delia and Alistair a few minutes alone. The newlyweds appreciated the opportunity to hold each other, even if it was for only a short time. The Landsmeet couldn't come soon enough as far as Alistair was concerned. He wanted to be able to express his love for his wife whenever he wanted to rather than steal kisses when he could, but a warden had to do whatever it took to end the Blight, and right now keeping his marriage a secret would help them end the Blight that much faster. A knock on the door signaled that they needed to return to the Arl's estate, and Delia and Alistair exited the room sadly. They had no idea when they would have their next opportunity to touch each other, and they needed to be strong for everything they were anticipating.


	67. Chapter 67

Chapter 67: The Rescue

The wardens and their friends left the Gnawed Noble Tavern and walked back to Arl Eamon's estate. Alistair and Delia walked in the middle of the group, holding hands discreetly. Aeden was worrying about how the Arl would accept the information they had gathered at the tavern, and in his mind he tried to find the best way to word his findings to appease Eamon.

As it turned out, a distraction was waiting for them and Aeden didn't have to think about the nobles. Aeden and Alistair walked into the Arl's study to find he had company. An elven woman, Erlina, was waiting for them. She was Queen Anora's personal handmaiden, and she came to the wardens to save the queen. Rendon Howe had her imprisoned in the Arl of Denerim's estate, which was now his since Loghain handed the arling to the madman. The queen believed her father was responsible for her husband's death, and when she spoke to Howe about it he accused her of being a traitor and worse. Loghain seemed to approve of her incarceration and Howe mentioned that Anora would be an ally better than alive, especially if they could blame her death on Eamon.

The three men decided they had little choice other than to rescue Anora, and made plans to meet Erlina at Howe's estate. The elf would bring uniforms from the guard believing the wardens' group would blend in seamlessly since they were constantly hiring new people. Although Eamon was reluctant to allow Alistair to go, the wardens insisted and the Arl had to relent. Alistair was very bothered by Eamon's attempt to control him, but he remained calm and focused on the job that needed to be done.

The wardens gathered their companions in the library and discussed the impending rescue with them. Aeden wanted to bring Zevran and Wynne with himself and Alistair, but Delia made a good argument for bringing others with them. They could be seen as a small company of new recruits that way, and be able to move through the estate as if they were on patrol. Aeden agreed and decided to add Delia, Leliana, Sten and Dusty. Griffon needed to remain at Eamon's because deer hounds were so rare in Ferelden that the dog would attract unwanted attention. The mabari, on the other hand, would be looked upon as needed as a weapon. Leliana and Zevran would be used for scouting as necessary and Delia would try to glean any information she could "feel" from their enemy.

The eight made their way through Denerim quickly, finding Erlina outside the Arl of Denerim's doors as promised. She was not happy to need three extra sets of uniforms, but managed to scrape them up quickly. The elf made herself useful, distracting guards and leading the wardens' group deftly to Anora's quarters. Unfortunately, Howe no longer had her simply guarded, but had ordered a mage to place a glyph of imprisonment on her door. The only way to break the glyph would be to have the mage remove it or die, meaning the group needed to find Howe in the maze of the estate.

They easily made their way down the hallways. None of the guards seemed to think anything odd about the group, and the wardens would respond politely to any greetings they were offered. Howe's room was down the hall from Anora's, and although he wasn't there, they discovered two interesting things. The first was a group of Grey Warden papers, which they took with them, believing Howe had no right to them. The second was that his room had a back door which led down to the dungeon.

Quietly Aeden led them down the stairway to the dungeon, but his appearance at the bottom of the stairs caught the attention of a guard. Before the guard had an opportunity to call out, a prisoner's arm slithered around the guard's neck, breaking it quickly and pulling the dead man into his cell as the group watched in surprise.

The prisoner exited the cell, dressed in the guard's armor. "I thank you for creating such distraction, stranger. I have been waiting for weeks for this opportunity. Do you think you could..." he looked at Alistair, a smile creeping across his face. "Alistair? Is that you?"

Alistair looked puzzled at first, but then he relaxed as he recognized the man. "Who…? Wait, I know who you are. You were at my Joining. He's one of us. A warden from Orlais. Jadar, I think. Or was it Montsimmard? I'm afraid I don't remember your name."

The older warden bowed slightly. "I am Riorden, senior warden of Jadar but born and bred in Highever and glad to be home."

Aeden reached forward and shook his hand. "What are you doing here?"

Riordan chuckled softly. "For the most part, trying to hold my tongue."

The three wardens continued to talk for several minutes about Riordan's reasons for being in Ferelden, his capture by Howe, what he knew of Loghain and of the upcoming Landsmeet. Delia tried to "feel" the warden, but all she felt from him was his exhaustion, hunger and fear. When Alistair and Aeden asked Riordan to come with them as they pursued Howe, the senior warden shook his head.

"I wouldn't be much use to you in my current condition. And, if you'll pardon me, I have a sudden desire to breathe some fresh air. I will seek you out later—after I find a good physician."

Riordan wished them well before he left them to their own resources. Aeden led his party farther into the dungeons. What they found there disgusted them.

Howe used the dungeons as his own personal torture chamber. There were abused corpses everywhere they turned. In a larger chamber they found a rack with a prisoner still tied to the instrument. The man appeared at first to be dead, but Wynne checked him and, finding he actually lived, cast some healing spells on him as Aeden and Alistair released him.

"Was this supposed to be a lesson? Did my father think it funny to leave me so long before sending you?" the man whispered with little strength.

"Who are you?" Aeden asked as he applied a healing poultice to the man's legs.

"I am Oswyn, son of Bann Sighard, of the Dragon's Peak Bannorn. If you aren't one of our soldiers, pray tell me, who should I be thanking for my rescue?" The man's eyes glistened with tears of relief.

"We are Grey Wardens. I am Aeden, this is Alistair, and our recruit, Delia."

Oswyn thanked the wardens and explained his story. His best friend had been a soldier at Ostagar and told him about how his unit had been ordered to turn their backs on King Caillen _before_ the darkspawn had overwhelmed the king and his men. The following day his friend disappeared, and when he searched for him, he made the mistake of accepting a drink from a stranger and wound up in Howe's dungeon. Howe lied to him and told him that Eamon was dead and there would be no Landsmeet. Now that he knew the truth he would have his father speak out against Loghain.

As much as Oswyn wanted to leave as quickly as he could, the wardens convinced him to remain with them. Aeden feared the man was too weak to travel alone. Instead they searched the dungeon looking for more prisoners. They found a soldier named Rexel who's family had placed a job on the Chantry board because he was missing, then an elf named Soris, who had been captured by the previous Arl of Denerim when the Arl's son kidnapped the elf's bride on their wedding day. When the elf tried to rescue her, the Arl's son fought him, and the elf woke in the dungeon.

The next person they found was the former Arl's son, Vaughan. He was captured by Howe after the elves rioted following his foul treatment of Soris' bride. As Soris was kept back away from the noble's cell, Vaughan tried to convince the wardens to release him, going so far as to bribe them. Aeden refused to release the man, deciding instead to allow the Landsmeet to deal with the man's crimes. Soris was pleased that they didn't release him, although he would have preferred for them to kill Vaughan instead.

Around the corner they found a former Templar in deep lyrium withdrawal. Aeden was able to learn from him that his name was Irminric, the brother of Bann Alfstanna. The Templar was returning a malificar to the Circle Tower when Loghain took the blood mage from him and imprisoned him instead. The blood mage in question was Jowan. Alistair grimaced at the news, but knew that Irminric had information that could potentially destroy Loghain.

"I think we need to take Irminric and Oswyn back to Eamon's immediately. Sten and Delia, I want the two of you to go with them, and take Dusty." Aeden spoke firmly, and Delia couldn't deny the men needed assistance.

Soris placed his hand on Aeden's arm. "Warden, there is another man down here who will need more than just a bit of assistance. I saw him when they took him from the rack earlier today… his cell is just a bit farther down, I think. They really hurt him… I think he was nearly dead when I saw him."

Aeden nodded and continued down the maze of cells. At the very end of the cellblock they found the man, lying on the floor. He was unrecognizable as his face was horribly swollen from a beating earlier in the day. His torso was covered in welts from what seemed to have been a horrendous lashing. Delia could barely look at him; it sickened her to see the result of Howe's depravity. Wynne checked the man's health, and he barely lived. She cast several healing spells as well as a rejuvenation spell, but shook her head in worry.

"Aeden, he won't survive the night if he doesn't have someone to nurse him."

"Sten, you'll need to carry this man back to Eamon's. Ask Morrigan to do whatever she can until we get back, then Wynne will take over. Leliana, I need you to go with them as well. You and Delia will have to assist Oswyn, Rexel and Irminric because I don't think they can walk unsupported."

Delia and Leliana nodded knowingly. Before they left, Delia hugged her husband tightly and kissed him. "Be careful, Alistair. I love you and can't wait to see you later."

Alistair kissed her in return. "I promise, love, but you must also be careful. Stay in the shadows and be safe. I know Dusty will help you choose the easiest route."

The survivors started to make their way out of the dungeon. Dusty was an excellent leader, using his nose and his keen ears to avoid the guards. They found their way outside quickly, and the journey through the city was thankfully uneventful.

Once at the Arl's estate, Delia brought the injured men to the room shared by Trent, Sten, Zevran and Oghren. Trent and Oghren were surprised at the arrivals, but Trent rushed off to find Morrigan immediately. Sten gently laid the most severely injured man on his own bed, covering the shivering form with a warm blanket. Delia and Leliana grabbed blankets for the other men as well, covering their nearly naked bodies as Oghren searched through whatever clothes he could find for the victims.

The commotion caught the attention of Eamon who made his way to the room as well, following Trent and Morrigan. He listened to Delia as she explained the men's conditions to Morrigan and helped to organize potions and poultices for their treatment. Once he could get a word in edgewise, Eamon moved toward Delia.

"Delia, may I speak to you?"

"Yes, of course, Arl Eamon. What can I do for you?"

He frowned slightly. "May we speak in private? It's warden business and I don't wish to be overheard."

Delia nodded and followed the arl out of the room after telling Leliana she would be back shortly. The two made their way across the estate to the arl's study. Eamon walked through the door toward his desk and turned to face her. The guards closed the door behind her, and then, with a slight nod from the arl, they grabbed Delia's arms and held a cloth to her face. As Delia started to black out, she heard Eamon as he spoke to his guards.

"Remember, men, you have _not_ seen Lady Delia this evening. She did not arrive at my study…"


	68. Chapter 68

Chapter 68: Captivity

Alistair and Aeden finally returned to Arl Eamon's estate the following morning after an eventful night. After they sent Delia and Leliana with the freed prisoners, they found Rendon Howe and his mage. There was no reasoning with the evil Arl, and they were forced to kill both of the men. They quickly made their way back to Anora's quarters. Since the glyph was no longer active, the queen's room was accessible. Once she was released, the group hurried to the main gates of the Arl of Denerim's estate.

At the gates they were accosted by Ser Cauthrien. Rather than fight their way past the many guards Cauthrien brought with her, the wardens surrendered to the charges of killing Howe, although they told the knight that she didn't know the entire story. At least it enabled Wynne and Zevran to get the queen and her servant out of the house and back to Eamon's estate.

The wardens were not treated well by Cauthrien's men. They were knocked unconscious and left without their equipment in a cell at Fort Drakon. Luckily, their wits were far more formidable than the guardsmen, and they were able to escape after equipping themselves from the guards' armory and pretending to be new recruits. Aeden was very pleased to be able to break out without any more bloodshed. He didn't want to give Loghain any more ammunition against them at the Landsmeet.

As they entered the building, Eamon was pacing back and forth in the foyer.

"Thank the Maker. Zevran and Wynne explained how you were captured. I'll send for Wynne to check you both for injuries." As he waved to one of his servants, Alistair waved him off.

"We're both fine, Eamon. I assume since you spoke to Wynne and Zevran that they made it back safely with Anora?"

Eamon nodded. "Yes, they were planning a rescue for you, but Wynne needed to attend to the prisoners and Zevran and Trent were waiting until she would be available before they left the estate. Anora is in the guest quarters and would very much like to speak to you, Aeden."

"To me?" He looked puzzled. "Why would she want to speak to me?"

Eamon shook his head. "I don't know, but I assume it has something to do with the Landsmeet. Be careful how much trust you place in her. I do not for a moment think Anora means to give up her power easily."

Alistair looked grim. "And how are the prisoners faring? One of them was nearly dead – has he survived?"

Eamon nodded. "They are in the quarters we assigned to your warriors. To my knowledge, the severely injured one has been steadily improving thanks to Morrigan and then Wynne."

"Is Delia with them? Aeden and I need to speak to her."

Eamon shifted subtly on his feet. "Delia is not in the estate. She… left a note. It's in my study in the desk."

Alistair raised an eyebrow. "And just where would she go? Did she take anyone with her?"

"No, she left alone." Eamon's eyes were looking at the floor, making Alistair and Aeden very suspicious.

"We need to see this note immediately." Aeden led the way to the study.

Eamon walked directly to his desk and opened a drawer, removing a sealed letter. He handed it to Aeden, who broke the seal and frowned as he read the contents.

_My dearest Aeden,_

_I am sorry to leave while you are not the estate, but I realized that the life of a warden is not the life for me. I now know that I belong with Teagan after all. Please forgive me and do not try to find me. By the time you read this I hope to be well on my way to Rainesfere. _

_Maker watch over you,_

_Delia Loren_

Both Alistair and Aeden were infuriated. The note was obviously forged, and it meant that Teagan had obviously done something to her. Alistair used every control technique he could remember from his Templar training to hide his feelings. He couldn't stop asking himself where was his wife and if she was alright. Somehow he needed to stay calm and believe in her abilities. She would find a way back to him.

"We will talk later, Eamon. Alistair, let's check in with the others. Maybe one of them knows something more." Aeden led the way back to the warriors' quarters, leaving Eamon with a satisfied smile on his face. Once the two wardens were gone for several minutes, the Arl made his way to the back exit of his estate. He had an errand to run.

…

When she finally woke up, Delia felt groggy and disoriented. She didn't recognize the room she was in. The furniture was made of thick chestnut wood, trees that were not normally grown in Ferelden. Someone had gone to great expense to purchase the furnishings from Orlais. The sheets were silk and the walls papered in a light blue color with a golden medallion pattern. As her eyes cleared a bit, Delia noticed one thing she _did _recognize: Rowen's brush set. The mere sight of it made Delia feel sick to her stomach.

Then she suddenly remembered… _Eamon_. He kidnapped her and brought her somewhere, but where in Thedas was she? Delia walked to the window and looked out. _"If only I had spent more time in Ferelden,_" she thought to herself as she tried to find a familiar landmark. If she looked at the very far right side of her window she could see a river that could possibly be the Drakon and the sun seemed to be shining into her window. If it were the morning, that would mean she had an eastern view from north of the river. Thinking there might possibly be a map somewhere, she started to search through drawers and in the closet. There was nothing to be found. Sadly, she sat on the window seat looking out at the city, trying harder to identify something that would let her know where she was.

A knock on the door startled her away from the window. Delia had no weapons, but she stood up, ready for whatever came through the door.

"Ah, my dear Delia, I see you are finally awake." Eamon seemed to be almost smug as he walked into the room.

"No thanks to you, Arl Eamon. You have no right…"

He slapped her across her cheek. "I have every right. You have disrespected your grandfather's memory by pretending to be a fighter, more so by pretending you will join the Grey Wardens. It is time you come to your senses." He walked toward the door, turning back to her before he opened it. "Tomorrow you will marry Teagan and go back to Rainesfere. There you _will_ take up your rightful place helping him with his Bann."

Delia stood with her hand rubbing her cheek, glaring at the older man. "I will _never_ marry Teagan. And don't you even _try_ to tell me that I have disrespected my grandfather's memory. He wouldn't _be_ only a memory if it weren't for you _and your wife._ You disgust me, Arl Eamon. I will never be a part of your family."

"You act as if you have any choice in this decision. I will have food brought up to you. Don't try to escape. There are guards stationed everywhere, and you will not be able to get past them." He left the room, slamming the door behind him.

The sickness in her stomach took over, and she vomited into the chamber pot. Delia hoped the residual effects of the poison he used to capture her the previous night would wear off soon. She needed to feel physically better in order to let her brain figure out a way to escape from this place, wherever she was…

…

Alistair was pacing from one side of the room to the other. "And no one saw anything? Nothing at all? I just can't believe it."

Wynne walked to his side and placed her hand on his shoulders to comfort him. "We will find her, Alistair. Have faith."

"I have faith. What I _want_ is my wife… here… safe in my arms." He slumped into a chair.

Zevran looked around the room at his colleagues. "I propose that Leliana and I go into the city and try to glean whatever information we can. Perhaps we can loosen the tongues of members of Eamon's guard at the tavern."

"That's an excellent idea, Zev." Aeden reached down to comfort Griffon, who was whining for his mistress. "Wynne, how are the prisoners doing?"

"Most are doing better. Soris has already left for the Alienage to be with his family. Oswyn and Irminric need more care, but will be fine if their families bring them home. Rexel's mind is in bad shape and will need a great deal of attention from his family and friends. I don't know if he will ever be the man he once was. The final man, the one was so horribly beaten, is still unconscious, but his physical condition is improving. Actually, I was going to ask you to look in on him, Aeden."

He looked at her curiously. "Why me?"

"Well, the man looks familiar to me. I thought you might recognize him. Perhaps if we knew who he is, speaking with him and using his name would help in his recovery."

Aeden nodded. "I'll be there shortly. Alistair and I need to talk first." He looked at the two rogues and nodded to them grimly. "Stay safe in the city. We look forward to your report."

After hugging Leliana and shaking Zevran's hand, the two rogues left on their mission. Sten and Oghren followed Wynne and Morrigan into the hallway leaving the wardens with Trent. The warrior walked to where Alistair sat and placed his hand on the warden's shoulder.

"Alistair, have faith. Delia would never leave you willingly." He grinned slightly. "She's also inherited a bit of my stubborn streak. I know she'll find a way back to you. In the meantime, know that I am here to help you in any way that I can."

Alistair placed his hand on top of the other man's and smiled gratefully. "Trent, you have no idea how much your support means to me. One thing you might do is to spend time with Eamon's guardsmen. If you blend in with them, perhaps some information will slip from their mouths."

Trent nodded. "I can do that. I know many of them from my travels to Redcliffe over the years. You'll be the first to know when I learn something."

With a pat on Alistair's shoulder, Trent left the room leaving the wardens alone. Alistair groaned and put his hands over his face in despair.

"I feel so helpless, Aeden. If I only knew where she is I could rescue her and feel better."

Aeden sat next to him. "One of the most awful parts about being a noble is that you need to delegate important tasks to others and wait for the results. Sometimes that process is painful. I'm sorry you have to go through this, but Delia is strong. She will not allow anyone to hurt her and I have faith everything will be fine. We _will_ find her."

Alistair reached over and grasped Aeden's arm in a warrior handshake. "Thank you, Aeden. You believe in me more than anyone other than Delia. You have no idea what your friendship means to me. I couldn't do any of this without you."

Aeden nodded in response. He knew how powerless his friend felt, and his own fears about Delia's safety threatened to overwhelm him as well. Swallowing his own anxieties down, he forced himself to remain strong, for Delia, Alistair, as well as himself.

…

Delia was still looking out the window trying to figure out where she was being held captive when there was yet another knock at the door. A servant had brought food earlier, which Delia had barely touched. Her stomach refused to accept most anything she tried to put into it, and had only been able to drink some tea and eat part of a roll. Thinking the knock was another servant taking the dishes, Delia didn't even respond.

The door opened revealing her new visitor. It was Teagan. He saw her as she stared longingly out the window before she noticed his arrival. Her sad look was replaced with fierce anger as she sat back and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Well, well, well… if it isn't my ultimate captor. You may think you have me where you want me, _Bann Teagan_, but I **will not** marry you. If you try to force this marriage, the Maker himself will know you are worse than an abomination. I would rather die than be your bride." She spat the words out with such venom and hatred that Teagan flinched.

"Delia, my dear, I assure you that I had no idea that Eamon planned this. I cannot take someone to be my bride who openly despises me so much. Please believe me when I say that I never wanted our relationship to come to this. I care about you far too much to force myself on you. I want to make this _right. _ What can I do?" He walked toward her holding out his hand.

Delia slapped his hand away. "First of all, you _will not touch me._ Second of all, if you truly wish to make things right between us, you will release me _immediately_. Where am I being held captive? I don't recognize this place."

"This home belongs to Isolde. It was her family's before the Orlesian War, and title was passed to her when her parents returned to Orlais. Sometimes she likes to stay here instead of Eamon's estate. I suppose she likes to be reminded of her childhood."

Delia smirked at Isolde's name. "How nice that _she_ has such a place to remind her of her childhood. Where is this place? Are we still in Denerim?"

He nodded his head. "We are west of the Chantry, not far from the river. Minor nobles inhabit the houses surrounding this one. It's a part of the city that is usually ignored because most of the houses were built in the Orlesian style and most Ferelden's wish to avoid them."

"I need to get back to the wardens. If you truly care about me, Teagan, you will release me."

"It's not that simple, my dear. Eamon has guards posted everywhere. I will have to come up with a cover story of some sort." He looked at her nearly untouched meal and grew concerned. "Are you feeling well? You've barely eaten."

"I believe whatever it was Eamon used to put me to sleep has made me ill. Hopefully I will be better soon." She tried to calm herself and reach out to "feel" his true intentions, but her emotions were clouding her mind. Somehow she needed to find a way to trust him without knowing if she really should. Her instincts told her that he was being sincere and she tried to believe he was.

Teagan walked back to the door. "I will return in a short while. Try to remain brave, and believe me when I tell you that I will get you out of here." He swallowed hard. "I promise you will be back with Aeden soon."

As he walked out of the door, Delia started to cry for the first time. "_He still believes that I love Aeden. Oh, Alistair, I need you here so much. Maker, help him to keep his faith in me and in us."_ She walked to the bed, stifling her sobs into the pillow before falling into an uneasy sleep.


	69. Chapter 69

Chapter 69: If You Love Something, Set It Free

Teagan sat in his room contemplating his options. He needed to free Delia. After what Eamon did to her, there would be no possibility of any happiness for the two of them. It was obvious that she truly loved Aeden, and although Teagan wished for it he knew that she could never love him with that same kind of intensity.

He understood Eamon's motives for the kidnapping, but his brother had overstepped his authority. Teagan worried for his brother's sanity at this point. Perhaps he was so desperate to marry off Teagan because he despaired over his own wife's infatuation with the younger brother, or maybe it was because he was worried about having an heir to the Arling now that his own son would be taken by the Circle of Magi.

Teagan had watched as his brother seemed to slip farther and farther into his obsession of marrying the two. For some reason, Eamon seemed to despise the Grey Wardens. He remembered overhearing as Eamon ranted to himself, thinking no one heard him through the thick door of his study at Redcliffe Castle, about how the wardens helped to destroy their sister. He mentioned something about the wardens being responsible for Maric's cheating ways and how he wouldn't allow the wardens to ruin Delia as well.

It was nearly impossible to calm his brother when he learned about Alistair's conscription into the Grey Wardens. Eamon's fury didn't subside for weeks! Even in the early stages of Eamon's illness when he was comatose, he would murmur a name… Duncan. Over and over, just the name Duncan. His face would contort in anger, but since he was unconscious there was nothing anyone could do to calm him.

A fear gripped at Teagan's heart. Did his brother hate the Grey Wardens so much that he would place Ferelden in jeopardy? A shiver crept up Teagan's spine as he thought of the darkspawn threat that was on their very doorstep. Grey Wardens were needed to defeat the archdemon, and Eamon needed to allow them to do their job unimpeded.

Teagan shook his head. He needed to concentrate on the issue at hand: Delia's freedom. Eamon had guards stationed at every doorway. There was no possibility of sneaking out. Delia also seemed to be ill. Suddenly he had an idea. If he could convince Delia to follow his lead, he might be able to get them outside and then they could find their way away from the house. Teagan remembered sneaking out of the garden when he visited his brother's in-laws many years earlier. Perhaps the same security weaknesses still existed, but he wouldn't know unless they were able to make it to the garden.

He had found Delia's blades in his own room when he arrived the night before. If he could hide the blades inside their cloaks and bring them to her, maybe he could earn her trust and she would work with him. Teagan walked to his closet and removed two warm cloaks. He experimented in front of his mirror the best way to drape the cloaks over his arm to hide the blades from any prying eyes. When he was satisfied Teagan quickly made his way to the other side of the house, to Delia's room.

The guards merely nodded as he walked past them. Once at Delia's door he knocked softly and announced himself. He didn't hear her answer, but he opened the door and walked into the room. Delia's eyebrow rose when she saw the cloaks on his arm, but he placed his finger over on his lips to quiet her until the door was tightly shut.

"I have a plan. Please, Delia, hear me out. We need to pretend that you have decided it will be in your best interest to marry me after all." Seeing her eyes flash with anger, he put his hand out in front of him in an attempt to calm her. "Don't worry; I do not believe for a moment that you will marry me. I have accepted that. What we need to do is to return you to Aeden. Here is my plan."

Teagan removed her blades from under the cloaks, earning a soft gasp from her lips. He smiled sadly. "These were in my room when I arrived last night. You will need them for our escape." He handed the scabbards and blades to her. Delia was surprised that he handed her weapons even as he stood before her unarmed. As she adjusted the belts around her waist he continued to explain his plan.

"We'll walk out of the room together. I want you to pretend to feel close to me, although I know you don't. I'll have my arm around you and will tell any guards that question us that you, my betrothed, and I need some fresh air in the garden as you have been feeling ill. They need only check your chamber pot to have evidence to prove that as fact," he said, smiling mischievously. "There used to be a section of the garden wall that was deteriorated underneath the vines that covered it. When I was younger, I would sneak out of that section and meet my friends at the local tavern. Eamon and his in-laws were never the wiser. From there, we stay in the shadows and make our way back to Eamon's estate. We'll enter through the back entrance and sneak up to Aeden's room."

Delia looked at him in surprise. "You would do this for me? Why?"

Teagan slowly reached forward and took her hand in his. "Because I care about you and your happiness. You will never be happy with me, and I couldn't bear to be the cause of your distress." A tear formed in his eye as he quickly turned away. He deftly wiped his eye and picked up one of the cloaks. "We must be certain to cover your blades from wandering eyes."

Gently, Teagan placed the cloak over her shoulders and made sure her blades were well hidden. After putting his own cloak on he nodded at her. "Are you ready?" With her answering nod, he opened the door and led her out.

The guard immediately blocked his path. "At ease, men. My bride has taken ill, and I am taking her to the garden for fresh air to calm her stomach." He looked at her and smiled warmly. "Are you certain you are up to this, my love?"

Delia smiled at him warmly. "Yes, Teagan. I do think some time outside will help." She looked at the guards. "Would you men please ask one of the servants to clean my chamber pot and air out my room? I'm afraid it smells rather poorly at the moment, which is not helping me to feel any better."

As the guards nodded, Teagan put his arm around her waist and she leaned against him, making it look as though he was assisting a sick woman through the hallways. The two pretended to converse as though they were excited about their impending wedding, earning smiles from most of the guardsmen they passed.

It seemed to take forever before they reached the doors to the garden. The guards at the doorway were reluctant to allow the two to pass through the doors, but Teagan explained how she had been ill and Delia pretended to retch. Immediately the guards made way, and the two hurried outside.

"I think it would be best if we sat for a few minutes. We don't want their eyes on us." Teagan led Delia to a bench, and after clearing some snow from the seat he gallantly held her hand as she sat. He sat next to her and she dutifully leaned against him, earning a sigh from the nobleman.

They sat in silence for a few moments, Teagan pretending to be fussing over her as he watched the door to the house. Finally the shadows moved away from the windows and they were alone. Teagan stood and offered his hand to her with a smile. "Shall we walk around a bit?" he asked quietly. The two walked to the wall and took a gentle stroll around the garden's perimeter.

Finally Teagan found what he was looking for. Pushing the ivy aside, he bowed and with a swoosh of his arm whispered, "After you, my lady."

Delia quickly moved through the small opening in the wall, followed immediately by Teagan. She showed him how to meld into the shadows, as Zevran and Leliana had shown her in the months preceding.

"Which way do we go from here, Teagan?" Delia asked in a soft voice.

"If we take this road until the third crossroad and then turn right, we will be in the market district within a few blocks. I don't remember exactly how many roads we cross after our turn."

She nodded and started to walk as silently as she could. Teagan was not taught any stealthing skills, and as any warrior made far too much noise. Delia hoped he wouldn't attract the attention of any bandits. The faster they made their way to the estate, the less time there was for anyone to discover them.

The two arrived at the third crossroad and made their turn when out of the shadows a man lunged out. Ignoring Delia, the man immediately placed a dagger at Teagan's neck, holding him against the side of a building.

"Tell me, Bann Teagan, why should I not kill you here where you stand?" The accent of the man gave him away and Delia spun around at the sound of his voice.

"Zevran, **no!** Release him, mi hermano." She gasped in fear that the assassin would slice through Teagan's throat and leave him in the gutter to be thought to be another victim of the city's rampant crime.

Zevran hissed through his teeth, not taking his eyes off his prey, as he answered her. "Why should I? He kidnapped you when you placed your trust in him that he would behave as a noble should. He has proven himself to be vermin."

She placed a hand gently on his shoulder. "No, Zev. Eamon kidnapped me. Teagan arranged for our escape tonight. Please… release him."

Zevran's shoulders suddenly relaxed and he released his grip on the Bann. "Basta! I should have realized… Teagan had not yet arrived in Denerim, yes?" He brushed imaginary dust from Teagan's cloak. "My apologies, Bann Teagan. We have been quite worried about Delia, as no doubt you can imagine."

Teagan nodded. "No offense taken, Zevran. I understand your loyalty to Lady Delia and appreciate your desire to see her safe."

Delia looked at the elf with worry. "How… are the wardens, Zev? I've been so worried…"

"They are both well, although your love worries incessantly. Come, let us get you safely back to the comfort of his arms. I am certain it would be good for both of you." His eyes glinted teasingly.

Delia threw her arms around Zevran's neck and pulled him close. "I have missed you, my friend." As she released him, she kissed him on his cheek, causing the elf to look almost frightened. "Are you alright, Zev?"

He quickly regained his composure. Yes, mi hermana. I am simply not used to such a… display of affection. Let us go, lest we attract unwanted attention."

Zevran led the way safely to one of the lease often used doors of Eamon's estate. They made their way through a short maze of basement hallways and up the servants' staircase leading to the upper level of the building nearest to the warriors' quarters. When they reached the doorway for Alistair's room, Zevran opened the door, stepping out of the way to allow Delia to pass through first.

Alistair was sitting in a chair near the fireplace with his back to the door, his elbow on the chair's arm and his head heavily resting on his hand. He looked almost like the life was drained from him. Aeden sat next to him, his attention on Leliana who stood in front of the fire explaining where she had searched. As the bard noticed the person entering the room her eyes opened wide and a smile overtook her face. Alistair turned to see who walked in, and as he realized who it was he leaped off the chair and ran to her, sweeping her into his arms.

Teagan watched as the man he originally thought had stolen Delia's love reclaimed her. His emotions were complicated. On the one hand, he felt the anguish of losing the woman he loved forever: on the other hand, he felt joy for her as he saw the unsuppressed love unfold in front of him.

"Thank the Maker, you're safe. Oh, my love, I was so worried." He extended his arms and looked at her in earnest. "You are safe, and fine, and whole, aren't you?"

Delia giggled. "Yes, my love, I am safe, _and_ fine, _and_ whole. All that I need is you and your arms around me.

Alistair smiled broadly and wrapped his arms happily around his wife, closing his eyes in contentment. When he opened his eyes, they fell on the man he believed had caused this entire incident.

"You… you did this." He glared icily at Teagan as he slowly released his wife and took a step away from her. "She told you no… she asked you to stop pursuing her, and yet you just couldn't leave her alone. When you couldn't get what you wanted, you tried to force her." He started to walk toward Teagan, reaching for his sword that lay on the desk.

Delia rushed to Alistair's side and put her hand on his arm. "No Alistair, it isn't what you think. Eamon kidnapped me to force a marriage to Teagan. Teagan found the way for my escape. He saved me."

Alistair turned and looked at her, blinking in shock. "Eamon? It wasn't Teagan? But he seemed so desperate…"

Teagan, who was still reeling from the shock of discovering that Delia's love was for Alistair and not Aeden, sadly nodded. "Yes, I wanted to marry Delia, but not because she was forced to marry me. What Eamon has done disgusts me. I haven't quite figured out why he did this, but I do believe he felt he was saving her from the Grey Wardens."

"Saving her?" Alistair shouted in anger. "We have protected her since Highever! Whatever could Eamon believe of our order to think we meant her harm?"

Teagan replied softly. "I don't know, Alistair, but I believe it has something to do with your father. I… overheard Eamon blaming Maric's infidelity on the wardens, but I don't know any of the details. For what it's worth, I'm sorry . I apologize for my brother's actions to all of you. There is no excuse for what he's done, however I'm not certain that he is in his right mind."

Teagan looked at Alistair, concern clouding his expression. "I think you should call Wynne to check on Delia. She has been ill since she was kidnapped, and I've been worried about her."

Alistair's attention immediately shot back to his wife as Zevran excused himself to find the mage. "What's wrong, love?"

"I believe whatever Eamon put on the cloth to make me sleep sickened me. My stomach hasn't felt well since I woke up afterward."

"Wynne will make it all better, don't you worry. There's a reason why she's a grandmotherly type!" He pulled her close to him again, feeling calmer as the seconds passed. "I never want to be separated from you again. We'll handle Eamon as soon as possible. When he learns that his actions are treason against the crown…"

"Treason! What he did was wrong, no doubt criminal, but treason? What is your legal argument to base that on?" Teagan bellowed in fear for his brother.

Alistair released Delia and stood in front of the Bann, showing himself to be every inch the king he was destined to be. "It is treason because your _brother_ made the mistake of kidnapping Delia, _my __**wife**__ and the future __**queen**__ of Ferelden."_


	70. Chapter 70

Chapter 70: Birds and Bees

Zevran knocked on Wynne's door. The mage opened the door and was pleased to hear that Delia was back. When told that her friend was ill Wynne frowned and followed Zevran quietly through the halls to Alistair's room. Once she stood outside the door, she heard Bann Teagan shouting something about treason. Knowing the conversation was heated from the tone of his words, Wynne took a deep breath to clear her head before she opened the door and stepped inside.

Alistair was glaring at Teagan as she entered. Her breath caught in her throat as she noticed a change in the young man. Suddenly he looked almost… regal. Behind him stood Delia and as soon as Wynne saw her she smiled and strode over to hug her tightly.

"Oh, thank the Maker, Delia, you are back! We've all been so worried, but you would be proud of Alistair. I believe he has done a remarkable job of staying calm despite his fears for you." She released Delia and looked at her warmly. "Now, I was told that you aren't feeling well. I must ask that the room is cleared of everyone except for Delia, me and perhaps Alistair, but only because I know that he won't accept another moment apart from his wife."

Leliana and Aeden steered Teagan and Zevran across the hall to Zevran's room. The four stayed there, in uncomfortable silence, while they waited for Wynne's diagnosis.

Once the three were alone with the door shut behind the others, Wynne smiled and took Delia's hands in her own. "Now, my dear, lie down on the bed and I'll see what I can do for you."

Delia walked to the bed and lay down as Wynne had directed. Alistair walked to the far side of the bed and sat on the edge, looking at his wife with concern. Wynne walked to the side of the bed closer to her and smiled at Delia.

"This won't hurt at all, but you may feel a comfortably warm sensation as my magic searches whatever is wrong." Delia nodded in understanding. There were many times as a child at school that she would be ill and the resident mages would use their magic to search for the cause, so she wasn't afraid in the least. Besides, the troubles she had been having with her stomach seemed to be much better, so she wasn't worried about the illness being irreversible.

Wynne moved her hands above Delia's body without actually touching her. A blue-white light shone on her torso below the mage's hands as her magic searched for the cause of Delia's sickness. As her hands passed across Delia's abdomen, Wynne's eyebrow raised. She rechecked what she felt before she continued to search the rest of Delia's body for anything abnormal. Once she had examined Delia thoroughly, Wynne's hands moved one more time to her abdomen.

"Delia, when did you have your last cycle?" Wynne asked Delia as off handedly as possible.

Delia thought for a moment before she answered. "It was when the wardens were in the Deep Roads. Why?"

Alistair fidgeted. "Wynne, is something wrong? What did you find?"

Chuckling softly, Wynne looked at the warden with a soft smile. "Alistair, has no one ever explained to you the story of the birds and the bees?"

Delia looked up at Wynne at first in shock, but then the realization hit her. "Are you certain? Is that what my 'trouble' is?"

"Trouble? Birds? Bees? What in the Maker's name are you both talking about?" He ran his hand through his hair, his face contorted in fear.

"I'll leave you to enlighten him, Delia. I'll return later with an herbal tea mixture which will help you with the… discomfort." She took Delia's hand in her own and smiled. "If you need any help explaining this to Alistair, I will help you when I return."

Delia laughed softly. "I… think we'll be fine." Wynne walked out of the room, smiling back at the pair over her shoulder as she closed the door behind her.

"So, are you going to explain this to me or what? Were you stung by a bee in the middle of winter and had a bad reaction? I really don't understand."

Delia sat up and leaned against the bed's headboard, patting the area next to her so Alistair would sit next to her. Once he moved where she desired, she took his hands between her own and looked lovingly into his eyes.

"Alistair, I'm not really sick at all."

"Then why is your stomach bothering you so horribly?"

"Well, my love, it seems that we won't have a great deal of time to simply enjoy being husband and wife…"

His eyes grew wide in alarm. "Something is going to take you away from me? To kill you?"

Laughing, Delia moved so she was in his arms, facing him. "No, my personal, adorable idiot! You will simply have to share me with another…"

"I don't understand. You're going to leave me for someone else?" He truly looked confused and frustrated, so Delia decided to stop his misery.

"No, my love. You are going to be a father."

His eyes opened wide and a smile slowly opened on his face. "A… a father? You mean… you are going to have a baby? Our baby? Oh, darling!" He pulled her close to him, gently but firmly holding her against his chest.

A thought came to his mind. "Will it be a boy or a girl?" he asked seriously.

Delia looked up at his face and seeing his sincere expression started to giggle. "Yes," was all she could say before she laughed uproariously.

Realizing how silly his question sounded, he smiled at her and joined in her mirth. "Fa-ther. Father. It does sound rather odd, though, doesn't it? Father… I think I can get used to the sound of that." He snuggled into her hair, happier than he had ever been except for his wedding day.

His ecstatic but awkward reaction both made Delia laugh even more at his absurdity. Her love for his swelled as his happiness encircled them both. Alistair was going to finally have the family he had always wanted, and she couldn't believe how blessed the two of them were! She gently pushed away from his chest, but only so she could capture his lips against hers. The kiss they shared laid all their emotions bare; the pain they both had felt at being separated, the jubilant relief at being reunited and the overwhelming happiness they felt hearing the news that they were to become parents.

A soft knock on the door warned them of Wynne's return, and they broke their kiss reluctantly. Wynne walked in, smiling broadly, carrying a linen bag. "This is a mix of herbs to relieve your symptoms. Don't worry, the morning sickness is very normal and will go away in a month or so."

Delia scowled. "But it's not just in the morning. Should I worry about that?"

Wynne chuckled. "No, my dear. They call it morning sickness, but it can, indeed, happen at any time of day. When it does, drink some tea if you can and eat some dry bread. If you still feel ill after that, I will cast a rejuvenation spell on you to assist you."

Wynne smiled at Alistair. "I am assuming you understand how your wife caught this 'condition'?"

"Yes, Wynne, I do know how babies are made. Even with my Chantry background, we do understand these sorts of things," he grumbled.

Wynne snickered. "That's good, Alistair. Now, you work on making your wife comfortable for the night. I will, however, send Griffon in to your room, partly for security reasons but also because the poor dog smells her and I could hear him whining in Sten's room. He'll wake the entire house if he doesn't see you."

Delia smiled. "Yes, send Griffon to us. I've missed my other boy too."

Wynne smiled as she left the room, and momentarily they heard Griffon at the door. Alistair opened the door for him and the dog bounded inside. He leaped onto the bed and started to slather Delia's face with licks of unbounded happiness.

Delia was trying to push the deer hound off as she told her dog how much she had indeed missed him. When Griffon finally calmed down, Delia held her hands in front of her and shook them as if they were dripping in dog drool. "Alistair? I think I may need a bath…"

He laughed heartily and started towards the bathroom. "Your desire is my command, my love."

When they woke in the morning, both Delia and Alistair knew there were too many things to do before the afternoon's Landsmeet so they dressed quickly. Alistair left the room briefly to gather their entire group for a breakfast strategy meeting. When he returned, he immediately went to his wife and hugged her tightly.

"Today will change almost everything about our lives, but one thing will never change. I will always love you, Delia." He reached down and scratched Griffon behind his ears absentmindedly. "I've asked Aeden, Zev and Leli to secure the hallway before we walk over for breakfast – I don't want any of the estate staff to know you are here."

A soft knock on the door was revealed to be Zev. They followed their friends to the warrior's dining hall, which had been locked so that the estate guards wouldn't enter. Trent had spread the word that the wardens had requested a private meeting in regards to the Landsmeet, so there was no suspicion. As Delia walked through the doorway she looked around. Morrigan, Sten and Oghren were sitting at one table. All three seemed to be happily surprised at her appearance. Shale stood next to the other entrance to the room. She visibly straightened up when she saw Delia, looking as pleased as a rock creature could. Dusty loped over to Delia and nudged her hand, earning a hug from her.

Teagan was invited to the meeting only after Aeden had pushed Alistair for his presence. Aeden felt the Bann needed their protection from his brother once the Arl learned the true story about Delia and her marriageability. Teagan watched the reactions of their companions as they welcomed Delia back into their fold. One of the members seemed to have a more intense reaction, and he didn't have to wait very long to find out why.

Trent watched as his daughter walked through the doorway and gave the mabari a hug. His son in law was beaming in delight, and Delia's smile was contagious. He stood up, smiling but with his eyes filling with tears of joy, and strode over to her. As she looked up at him, her eyes also filled with tears, and they pulled each other into a tight embrace.

"Oh, Delia, I thought I'd lost you again. Thank the Maker you're all right."

Teagan was shocked. He knew Trent had been in her father's employ for a long time, but such a blatant display was simply wrong. "How can you allow her servant to behave that way?" he spat at Alistair.

Alistair glared at the Bann before he answered measuredly, "Because he is her real father. Her grandfather wouldn't allow her mother to marry the man that _she_ loved and was forced to marry that horrid excuse of a man. She didn't realize she was pregnant until after the marriage. If you would bother to use your _eyes_ you wouldn't be able to miss the family resemblance. I suggest that from now on you keep your comments to yourself about the matter."

Teagan sat down, embarrassed. No wonder Delia was adamant about marrying for love rather than station. She knew all too well how badly it could turn out. The events of the past day certainly had explained a great many things to the Bann.

Delia whispered into Trent's ear, "I need to tell you something important later, in private. Well, Alistair can be there, but no one else."

He looked at her and smiled. "And there's something I need to tell _you_ after breakfast. Well, rather there's something I need to _show_ you. A… surprise of a sort."

They joined their friends for their meal. When they had all eaten their fill, Aeden spent some time filling them in on what to expect at the Landsmeet. He and Alistair would enter first along with Sten, Wynne, Trent and Delia. Zevran would stay at the door and signal to Leliana, Oghren, Shale and Morrigan when they were to bring Anora into the room.

Delia was surprised at that. "How did you get Anora's support?"

Aeden smiled smugly. "I lied to her, of course. She believes she is retaining her crown and marrying Alistair to solidify her position."

Alistair suddenly looked very serious. "She's almost as much at fault here as her father, but she at least told us about the Alienage having trouble. Ferelden lost many elves to the Tevinter slave ships, but we were able to save many as well. Every time we turn around we find more depravity caused by Loghain and his ambitions. Today we stop him and save our country."

Aeden then explained how they would deal with Eamon later that morning. It would not be easy to accuse Eamon of his crimes against Alistair and Delia and still retain his support at the Landsmeet. He asked to speak to Teagan, Alistair and Delia privately later in the morning before they left to face Eamon.

Once they finished their meeting, Trent walked over to Alistair and Delia. "Alistair, will you come with us? You know what I have to… show her, and although I know she will be most pleased I think she'll also be shocked."

Alistair nodded and grinned. "Let's go then."

Trent put his arm around his daughter's waist and led her out the door and back to the original warrior's quarters. As they stood outside of the door, Delia looked up at his face. "Isn't this where we brought the prisoners? I forgot to ask how they were faring."

"They are all well, thanks to you, Leliana, Sten and Dusty. Most have already gone to their homes, but one wished to… thank you, in person." Trent opened the door and they entered the room. A man stood at the window, looking out, with his back to them. As he slowly turned to face them, Delia gasped. It was indeed someone she was elated to see, but was shocked that he was standing in front of her. The man standing in front of her, the man they had saved from the cell that was very nearly dead and unrecognizable at the time, was her brother.


	71. Chapter 71

Chapter 71: Loyalties

"Dairren," Delia whispered, her eyes wide with surprise and quickly filling with unbidden tears.

He smiled and opened his arms to her. She ran to him and forced herself to be gentle as she embraced the brother she thought was lost to her forever. He was so unbelievably thin, and yet remembering how horrendous he looked when they rescued him showed how remarkably he had recovered in the past few days.

"Delia… Maker, I never thought I would see you again." He ran his fingers through his sister's hair as he held her close.

"But how? The only thing we found of you in Highever was your blood on the floor of your room. What happened to you?" she blurted between soft sobs.

"Howe's men hit me over the head. When I woke, I was in the dungeon. He meant to hold the two of us as leverage against Father. Howe was furious that his men hadn't caught you as well. He seemed to want you for other reasons. I feared what those reasons were, especially after witnessing his depravity in the dungeons. I prayed that you successfully escaped, but I had no idea if you lived, or not…" He visibly shook at the visions his memories brought to mind.

Delia led her brother by the hand to a chair and the four sat together. "Howe learned about my gift. We believe it was because one of Father's men told him in retaliation for the loss of his job. He wanted to… use me for his own enrichment."

Dairren nodded. "Howe… tortured me… to try to learn where you would have gone. I had no idea, knowing you wouldn't want to return to Father, but not having anyone else." He looked at her with a look that betrayed his fright. "Where did you go? How did you escape?"

Delia told him about her escape with Duncan and Aeden. She then told him briefly about their travels since then, promising him every detail at a later date.

"And you, brother? All he did was torture you all that time? How did you survive?" She felt ill thinking about her brother rotting in that cell, only to be brutalized over and over simply for Howe's deviant amusements.

Dairren nodded tiredly. "I would be tormented, then given a respite to regain some strength, then afflicted again. It was an unending cycle. Howe would tell me they had found you, and later would tell me you were dead; I didn't know what to believe and I thought I was losing my mind." He looked at her and grinned. "And now, here you are in front of me. They told me I have you to thank for my rescue as well." A shadow crossed his face. "So, where do we go from here? I no more wish to go back to Father than you have."

Alistair placed his hand on Dairren's arm. "You have a home with us. Don't worry about that."

"Have you met our father? He won't hesitate to make our lives difficult at best." Dairren frowned at the warrior as if he couldn't possibly understand the issues involved.

Alistair and Delia both grinned as the warden continued to speak. "Well, there are a few things you don't know yet. First, I'm not only your brother in law, but hopefully at today's Landsmeet it will be decided that I will be your king."

Dairren's eyes opened wide in surprise as he learned his sister was married and even wider as he realized who Alistair truly was. "And that's only the first thing for me to learn?"

Delia took her brother's hands into hers. "Dairren, Father isn't… well he isn't our father." Dairren looked at her in surprise. She explained their mother's experience to him. As she spoke, Trent's eyes filled with tears. He watched Dairren's expression as it flitted from surprise to anger and finally to understanding, and all he wanted to do was hug the son that had been denied to him for so many years.

Dairren finally looked at Trent in the eye. "So… I suppose you weren't just the friendly house guard who liked to keep the children of the manor occupied then." He stood in front of Trent causing Trent to stand as well. "I have to say Ser… um, Father, I can't quite put into words what I'm feeling right now. Strangely, I feel relief mostly, but I am happy to have a man as honorable as you as my true father." He pulled Trent into a hug, the two men finally able to be the family that nature had intended.

Dairren's mind was reeling. Here he was, finally released from his captivity and regaining his health, and yet his life was nothing of what it once had been. He looked at the man who had married his sister and a knot formed in his stomach. Did this man even love her? Would he treat her well? Dairren had always been his sister's protector and best friend – what was he to her now? He tried to keep his emotions controlled as he released Ser Trent… his father… and looked at Delia and the warden.

"I… think I need some rest, if you don't mind. This is all quite a bit for me to grasp." He looked at his sister apologetically.

"Before we leave you, there is one thing Alistair and I need to tell you both." Her eyes darted between her two blood relatives as a huge smile brightened her face. "Our family is growing. Alistair and I are having a baby!"

Trent was thrilled and hugged his daughter and then his son in law, smiling from ear to ear. Dairren's face showed a tired smile as he tried to hide his own fears. Not only was his sister married, but now pregnant! He wasn't sure how he felt, if he were honest with himself, but he needed to try to be supportive. "Congratulations. I am very happy for you both." He gently reached forward and hugged his sister. Alistair grabbed his arm in a warrior's handshake with such gusto that Dairren flinched in pain. He tried to ignore the bruise on his arm as he continued to apologize for his weariness.

"Dairren, we understand. I can't believe you are as well as you are. We'll have lunch sent up to you soon. In the meantime, rest." She held her brother's shoulders and kissed him on his cheek. "We'll be back later."

When the three finally left the room, Dairren walked slowly to his bed and lay down in exhaustion. The events of the last few days completely shocked his already weak system, and he needed sleep. Maybe his mind could process all this information better while he slept. He didn't even take off his boots or pull the covers over himself as he immediately drifted off.

Alistair was not looking forward to their confrontation with Eamon. On the one hand, he still respected the man he remembered from his childhood, but yet the Eamon he knew as an adult was anything but decent. Eamon obviously intended to try to control Alistair and therefore act as a shadow king, but what was far worse in Alistair's opinion was how he kidnapped Delia. The Arl didn't know about their marriage, as far as Alistair knew, but to kidnap and force a marriage on anyone was reprehensible.

Several things needed to be accomplished in this meeting. Alistair needed Eamon's support at the Landsmeet, but after he committed this crime against Delia the Arl needed to be held responsible and punished adequately. Eamon needed to accept and respect Alistair as Ferelden's true king above everything else. Alistair refused to be anyone's puppet king, and Eamon would pay a hefty price for his offences.

Aeden and Alistair strode purposefully into the Arl's chamber leaving their companions outside the door. Eamon was speaking to Riordan, the warden they saved from Howe's dungeon. The Arl welcomed them with a smile.

"Ah, there you are! I was about to send out a search party. I have been hearing of a great commotion in the alienage. What exactly happened there?"

"We have proof Logain was involved in slave trading." Aeden took the lead, as Alistair would have his shot in a moment.

The Arl shook his head sadly. "Maker forgive me: I should be appalled that such a thing could exist here, but I'm overjoyed you can implicate Loghain." Eamon began to pace, his hands behind his back, as if he were leading the wardens into their next battle. "We must end the civil war quickly. What the Blight does not corrupt in this land, politics surely will."

Alistair sneered at the man. "That is putting it mildly, wouldn't you say, Aeden?"

Aeden nodded. "Politics certainly seems to be able to bring out the best in people," he added coldly.

Eamon ignored them as he continued to lecture the two. "The last of our allies have arrived in the city, we can delay no longer. I will call for the Landsmeet to convene. Bring Alistair and meet me at the palace when you are ready, Warden."

As Eamon started to walk to the door, Alistair stood in his path. "Um, before you go, there are a few issues we must settle _now_."

The Arl frowned. "Can't it wait? Surely you understand how important it is that we convene the Landsmeet quickly?"

Alistair returned the man's frown. "I understand far better than you think, _Arl Eamon_."

As the words came growling out of Alistair's mouth, Eamon's eyes seemed to show a flash of fear, but he immediately regained his composure. "Fine then, but make it quick. What do you want, Alistair?"

Alistair started to pace across the room, using the exact same stance his former guardian had used only minutes earlier. "A crime has been committed, ser, and under your very nose. Here, in your estate. Aeden, would you please bring in our _special guest_?"

Eamon looked puzzled as Aeden walked to the door and opened it. In walked Teagan, his hands bound. "What is the meaning of this? How dare you treat my brother in this fashion?"

"He is lucky we didn't kill him on sight. You see," Alistair made a great show of removing the note Eamon proclaimed was from Delia from his pocket, "this note from Delia was forged. I have other writings of hers in this journal and the handwriting isn't even remotely similar." Alistair held up a book given to Delia from her mentor, Justine. Eamon didn't have to know that none of the writing inside was Delia's; he only needed to believe that it was.

"This is proof that Delia was kidnapped. And, since Howe was dead by our hands we knew it couldn't be him who was responsible. The only other person with a motive was your brother. I need not remind you of the seriousness of the charge of kidnapping, especially when someone commits the crime for personal gain."

Eamon was visibly shaken by what Alistair was saying. "What proof do you have?"

Aeden responded gruffly. "We have the note. It would be easy enough to match the handwriting to Teagan's. He had motive, as he wanted to remove Delia from my influence and have her for his own wife. We have witnesses who would testify to the lengths he would go to gain her attention." He turned to face Teagan as he narrowed his eyes menacingly. "We do have one witness whose testimony would be irrefutable at the Landsmeet."

Alistair had quietly walked to the door and opened it. In walked Delia. She looked radiant in new armor made from dragon scales the wardens had retrieved from Haven. Even Alistair gasped – she was more beautiful than he had ever seen her as the sunlight reflected off the armor in a rainbow of colors.

Eamon's eyes were wide in fright. "Delia, you wouldn't bring false witness against my brother, would you?"

She looked at the arl and walked to Teagan's side. "Now, why would I bring false witness against Teagan? After all, he is as much a victim in all this as I am. Were it not for your wife, Teagan and I would have been comfortably married. My life certainly would have been much different had she not interfered." She moved across the floor to stand in between Alistair and Aeden. "Instead, my life brought me to the Grey Wardens, and here is where I belong. I learned from my grandfather the meaning of honesty, responsibility, and duty. He also taught me that the right path in life is not always the easiest. We must do what is proper and appropriate in this situation, because a crime has indeed been committed and justice must be served. Exactly what that justice should be will be determined by the perpetrator's honesty."

Eamon lowered his eyes to the ground. "Delia, you have shamed me. Your grandfather was the most decent man I ever knew, and because of my wife he suffered and was humiliated for the end of his days. You are correct that we must follow the right path, even when it is difficult. If it is any consolation to you, I did what I thought was right. I wanted to save you, my dear. The Grey Wardens led Maric into danger and were a great part of what caused the despair that ultimately killed my sister. You would be safe with Teagan, but with Aeden? Your life will bring nothing but danger and despair."

"Are you admitting your guilt, Eamon?" Aeden asked abruptly.

"Yes, Warden. I admit, I kidnapped Delia, but because I believed it was for the best."

Alistair removed Teagan's bonds and moved to Delia's side. "Your crime is far worse than you think, Eamon. If it were a simple kidnapping it would be bad enough, but you kidnapped someone's wife – my wife, your future queen."

Eamon was stunned. "What? I thought…"

"That she and Aeden were in love… yes, we know. We didn't want our relationship to cause trouble between you and me. I suppose that plan didn't work out very well, did it?"

Eamon sat heavily behind his desk. "When did you marry?"

"At Orzammar."

"So, all this time…" Eamon looked straight at Alistair. "So, what now? What justice will you look for?"

Alistair stood in front of the Arl. His hand reached for his wife, who took his hand with a smile. "Arl Eamon, I require your aid at the Landsmeet. Ferelden needs to be united against the Blight, and to achieve that I need to be put onto the throne that has belonged to my family for generations. In exchange for your oath of allegiance, your crime will not be made public. Once we have defeated the Blight, I will expect you to return to Redcliffe, where you will continue to serve as its Arl and remain loyal to our country and king."

Eamon looked surprised. "You would grant me such clemency? Why?"

Alistair moved to him and put his hand on his shoulder. "Perhaps because I now understand just how much family can mean to a man. I can imagine how horrible losing Rowan was for you, now that I have seen such loss with my own eyes. I do want to know, however, why do you hold such a hatred for the Grey Wardens? How could they have contributed to Rowan's death?"

Eamon sighed. "It started before Maric and Rowan were married. They fought with Loghain and… others to end the Orlesian occupation. Maric and Rowan were betrothed, but he fell in love with another, an elf, who betrayed them. The two were never happy after that, not even when Caillen was born. Rowan died shortly after the child's birth, and he was all we had left of our dear sister. Maric seemed restless, and disappeared at one time as he traveled with Duncan and other wardens, including and elven mage named Fiona. Maric, of course, fell in love with her. She was your mother, Alistair."

"What? My mother was a warden? Why was I left with you – did she die?"

Riordan cleared his throat. "No, Fiona lives. I know her well from Weisshaupt. She is most unusual, and very wise."

Alistair was troubled. "But why would she leave me? I don't understand."

Eamon struggled for words before he answered. "Neither Fiona nor Maric wished for your life to be forced upon you by virtue of who your parents were. Maric was king, whether he wished to be or not, and Fiona was mistreated because of her race and magical talents. They wanted you to be free to make your own path."

"Ye—es, well we see how well that went. Instead of raising me to make my own path, you forced me into the Chantry. I wonder what they would have thought of that betrayal. So, why exactly did you hate my mother so much?"

"She was another elf. Maric was a fool, falling for the first one. His indiscretion almost led to the death of their entire group. Rowan never forgave him for his betrayal of her. Your mother was simply another elf who Maric needed to conquer. It was an affront on her memory when I was asked to raise her son. Regardless, Alistair, you must keep your mother's race a secret. It must not leave this room. As far as Ferelden in concerned, your mother was a serving girl who died giving birth to you, and that is the story that must remain for your own sake. The people would never accept a half elf on the throne."

"I understand what you are saying, Eamon." Alistair ran his hand through his hair in nervous anger. He wanted to speak more about his mother and better understand Eamon's motivations from his childhood treatment, but felt time was short. "So, to get back on topic, do I have your oath of allegiance? Do you agree to my terms?"

Eamon nodded. "Yes, Alistair, I give you my oath of fealty, to you as my king and to Ferelden. I am your loyal servant."

Alistair looked at Delia. "Do you believe he is being honest? I trust your opinion more than my own."

Delia looked at the Arl, who looked overwhelmed and suddenly old. She reached out to him with her talent, and felt not only his defeat as well as his growing respect for Alistair. _"He is seeing Alistair as the king, not simply as Maric's bastard!"_

She turned to her husband. "Yes, Alistair, he is being honest."

"Good." He looked over at Teagan. "I am sorry for putting you through this, Teagan. I know you understand, but my apology to you still needed to be said."

Teagan grasped Alistair's arm in a warrior's handshake. "No apology needed, Alistair. Now, let's get ready for the Landsmeet. I find myself as anxious as the rest of you to have Loghain removed."

Aeden led the way to the dining room. Once the wardens and his brother were out of the room Eamon put his face into his hands. He had made a mess of everything and was filled with self-loathing. Now he would have to trust that the Maker would guide Alistair through the Blight and that the bastard of Maric would prove to be a better king than he thought. It was out of his hands now. Hopefully the Maker would not ignore the needs of his country.


	72. Chapter 72

**_This was a tough chapter for me. I hope I did it justice! Thank you all so much for your continued reading. I am very honored that Jinx1983 has created a forum page for me. It is located at http: .net /forum /Dragon_Age_Ridiculously_Awesome_Authors /85173 /1 /34617 . Since I'm too new to fanfiction and don't know if you're allowed to have links imbedded in the stories, I've added spaces before each individual '/' mark. Thank you so much, Jinx! I hope you all continue to enjoy my story._**

Chapter 72: The Landsmeet

Alistair and Aeden stood in front of their friends, detailing their plans for the Landsmeet. Eamon and Teagan had already left so they would have the opportunity to converse with the other nobles before the meeting was convened. The three Grey Wardens would enter the chamber first along with Delia, Sten and Wynne. The others would serve as a protective escort for Anora and assist Dairren. Zevran would be stationed at the entrance to the chamber so that he could signal Dairren and Anora when Aeden determined they should enter the room.

Dairren was a bundle of nerves. He was still physically weak, and the torture had left his mind fragile as well. There was no doubt that their father, their legal father, would be in attendance and Dairren was terrified at the prospect of speaking to him. Trent assured him that he would be at Dairren's side for every moment they were in the chamber, which calmed Dairren a bit.

Aeden took great care in making sure that Delia, Dairren and Anora were disguised. He didn't want anyone to recognize them on their way to the palace. The element of surprise was in his favor, and he needed every advantage he could muster.

The group walked through the streets of Denerim as a loose unit with the wardens in the front. Aeden was pleased there were no unforeseen problems on their way. They arrived in good time, only to be confronted by Ser Cauthrien and her men in the foyer of the Landsmeet Chamber.

Cauthrien looked at Aeden. "Warden, I am not surprised it has come to this." The soldier shifted her eyes to Alistair as she frowned. "And Alistair. If you were even remotely worthy of being called Maric's son, you would already **be** in the Landsmeet, now wouldn't you? You have torn Ferelden apart to oppose the very man who ensured you were born into freedom. But do not think you will get past me to desecrate the Landsmeet itself. The nobles of Ferelden will confirm my lord as regent, and we can finally put this to rest. Once you are gone."

Aeden looked at the soldier sadly. Here was a proud woman, a strong and devoted soldier, who remained as loyal as a mabari even when she knew in her heart that the man she followed was no longer the man she knew. "Do you really not see what Loghain has become?" he asked her quietly.

Cauthrien's eyes betrayed her despondency. "I have had… so many doubts of late. Loghain is a great man, but his hatred of Orlais has driven him to madness." She paced back and forth as she carefully thought of her next words. "He has done terrible things, I know it, but I owe him everything. I cannot betray him, do not ask me to."

Aeden stepped toward her and placed his hand on her shoulder gently. "Then let me stop him. You know it's the only way."

She looked at him with unbidden tears forming in her eyes for her mentor. "I never thought duty would taste so bitter. Stop him, Warden. Stop him from betraying everything he once loved." As Aeden started to walk past her, she placed her arm on his. "Please… show mercy. Without Loghain, there would be no Ferelden to defend."

With a slight nod to Cauthrien, Aeden walked to the inner doors. Cauthrien removed her men from the foyer, retreating to their barracks and a bottle of dwarven ale. She had stashed some away for when she wanted to forget all the unspeakable acts she had witnessed firsthand.

Aeden and Alistair opened the doors and entered the Landsmeet Chamber. The nobles were debating the situation already and the wardens' group ignored everything they were saying as they strode toward Loghain. Delia looked around the room, trying to remember who was who. She recognized many of the nobles from summer visits, but when her eyes fell on Bann Loren her blood turned to ice. _"Stay strong… stay strong,_" she repeated in her mind over and over. She couldn't afford to show any weakness, not when they were about to confront Loghain himself.

And there he stood. Loghain was in the front of the chamber, looking more terrifying than she had ever seen him. His eyes were icy as he watched them march in. Delia found she couldn't listen to the words being said around her as she was held in fear by what she felt from Loghain as she reached out with her talent. _"He is so… angry. And his hatred… so powerful. Who is it that he really hates? He does hate the Orlesians, but even Loghain realizes they are not a current threat. His hatred originated back then, however… I see a man. His hair is the color of Alistair's and Caillen's. That face… it must be King Maric. I see Maric with an elf… now he kills her. Rowan… she's crying. She's… she's in Loghain's arms… and his bed? I knew Maric had cheated on her, but her as well? And Maric's best friend? But that isn't what Loghain felt, is it? He always resented Maric. The king who he felt was an imbecile. Loghain thought Caillen would be his own puppet, but Caillen surprised him. He had a mind of his own and began to resent Loghain's treating him like a fool. He threatened to replace Loghain as his commander and that was why he betrayed his son in law. It all originated with Rowan, and Loghain's losing his one true love to Maric, who he didn't even respect."_

Delia snapped out of her talent's probe as the door opened to allow Dairren and Trent to walk in. Someone in the gallery had just mentioned the men Howe had imprisoned and Banns Bryland and Alfstanna spoke against Loghain. Dairren was living proof of the depravities Loghain permitted Howe to perpetrate.

Loghain watched as Dairren made his way to the wardens. "What can I say. We are at war. There are… casualties."

A voice from the back of the room shocked them all. "Casualties? My daughter was killed – my son tortured and I was blackmailed for months, and all you can say is that there are casualties? What exactly is the crime my son committed? He had only just returned to Ferelden – he didn't have any time to commit a crime!" Bann Loren stormed up to face Loghain. "I was always loyal to you, Loghain. I always did whatever it was you bade me to do, no matter who was hurt in the process. I will be silent no longer." He walked to Dairren and tried to place his hands on his son's arms, but Dairren flinched away. "I… I am so sorry, my son. I wish I could have saved you, but I didn't know where you were being held. Once the Blight is past, you and I shall mourn your mother and sister properly."

Delia watched her father as he did something she never expected to see. Tears began to fall down his cheeks. The scene made quite an impact on the nobles, as they had only seen the hardened Loren as he worked his political wiles to gain advantages. No one had ever suspected that _he_ had been the puppet, playing a game created by a master puppeteer! Delia couldn't watch the man she grew up with as her father fall apart in this fashion, so she removed her helm.

"Father… I'm not dead yet. I escaped from Highever thanks to Duncan, the Commander of the Grey Wardens. I have been a recruit to the wardens ever since."

Bann Loren looked at Delia with a gentleness she had never seen. "I… I can't believe it," he nearly whispered. "Arl Howe originally told me that you lived and threatened me to tell him where you were. I had no idea where you were or if you lived, but then he told me… he told… me…" Sobs erupted from the man who she had only seen as either angry or uncaring. "He told me you were dead, killed by an assassin. Still, he wouldn't release Dairren. Instead, he and Loghain forced me to manipulate the spirits of the lesser nobles to cause instability for the higher members of the Bannorn."

Loghain spun around and hissed at the wardens. "Enough of this. You took my daughter – our queen - by force, killing her guards in the process. What arts have you employed to keep her? Does she even still live?"

A woman's voice traveled from the side door of the chamber. "I believe I can speak for myself." A gasp rang through the crowd as Anora showed herself to the nobles. "Lords and Ladies of Ferelden, hear me. My father is no longer the man you knew. This man is not the hero of River Dane. I would have already been killed if it weren't for this Grey Warden."

Aeden nodded. "The queen speaks the truth."

Loghain looked at his daughter with disgust. "So, the Warden's influence has poisoned even your mind, Anora?"

With that, the chamber erupted with nobles shouting their allegiance to the wardens. Loghain became more and more agitated as the nobles called for him to stand down. He refused to yield until Aeden offered a duel to settle the matter once and for all, in accordance with the traditions of the Landsmeet. When Aeden was asked who would be his champion, he said only one word with no hesitation and great confidence, "Alistair."

Loghain laughed loudly. "Then let us test the mettle of our would-be king. Prepare yourself."

Aeden and Delia walked Alistair to the wall. Before he put his helm on, he pulled a small object from inside his armor. As he showed it to Delia, he winked at her. It was the heart she had made for him in Orzammar.

"Your heart will keep me safe, my love. Have no doubt."

Delia kissed him on the cheek. "Fight bravely and return to me in one piece."

Alistair put on his helm and then Aeden gave him a warrior's handshake for good luck. As he started toward the center of the room, Griffon anxiously took a place at his side, ready to fight for his other master. "No, Griff, as much as I want you to fight this one with me, the rules say I must fight alone. Keep Delia safe, no matter what happens."

Griffon whined softly and nudged Alistair's hand before he left his side and took a protective stance next to his mistress. Alistair and Loghain pulled their swords from their sheaths and started the ritual of the dual. They circled one another, searching for each other's weaknesses. The tension in the room grew as the warriors took their first tentative hits. Then the battle started in earnest.

They were nearly evenly matched. Loghain wielded a two handed sword, depending on his massive strength to tire the warden, but he didn't count on Alistair's training and discipline. Every swipe of Loghain's blade met Alistair's shield, and the younger man was far more dexterous than the regent. The legendary stamina of the Grey Wardens helped Alistair as well. Loghain started to tire first, and then he made a mistake. He left an opening on his left side, which Alistair noticed immediately and took full advantage of. The Teryn of Gwaren suddenly was kneeling in defeat in front of Maric's son.

It took only two words for the dual to end. "I yield," whispered the regent as Alistair removed his helm. Loghain chuckled softly. "So, there is some of Maric in you after all."

Alistair snarled at the man in front of him. Suddenly his vision blurred with the memories of the men who had died because of this man… this monster in front of him. He saw the wardens, the only friends and family he had ever had until his traveling companions, as they met their deaths from the invading horde. Then he saw Caillen, the brother he wished he could have known, as he was crushed by the ogre. And Duncan. The man who had been the closest thing to a father he had ever known. His mentor. His friend. Alistair's anger took over as he raised his sword one final time. "Forget Maric. This is for Duncan."

Alistair's sword came down with tremendous force. He couldn't even see because of the fury that clouded his vision in that moment, but everyone else at the Landsmeet saw what happened as it felt as though time itself slowed to a crawl. Alistair's sword cut through Loghain's neck, and there was a sickening thud as the regent's head hit the floor and rolled across the aisle, taking its final rest staring lifelessly at his own horrified daughter.


	73. Chapter 73

**_This chapter brought to you today by the wonderful snow storm that hit New Jersey and gave us a snow day today! Even teachers love a surprise day off!_**

Chapter 73: The Crown

Alistair stood still, his sword held in front of him with its tip touching the floor. His shoulders were slumped over as the fury left him and profound sadness took its place. He hadn't meant to lose control during the duel, and suddenly he as if he were almost as monstrous as Loghain himself. As he tried to pull himself together, Eamon walked to the front of the chamber.

"So it is decided. Alistair will take his father's throne," Eamon stated quietly.

Alistair tried to pull himself out of his shock from the duel and hear what Eamon said. "Wait, what? No!"

Anora stepped around her father's head, seemingly unflustered by his death. "He refuses the throne. Everyone here has heard him. I think it's clear then, that he abdicates in favor of me." Anora looked out at the people in front of her as she tried to hide her gloating.

Eamon frowned. "I hardly think you are the appropriate person to mediate this, Anora." He looked hopefully at Aeden. "Warden, will you help us?"

Aeden nodded. "Yes I can settle this."

Anora reached over and grabbed Aeden's shoulder. "You and I have a deal, Warden. I hope you remember your promise," she hissed through her teeth.

Aeden looked at her with narrowed eyes. "I made you no promise, Anora. I am sworn to stop the Blight, no matter the cost. Alistair will be put on his father's throne, for the good of Ferelden."

"You told me he and I would have a political marriage." She glared at him, her calm demeanor giving away to her inner shrew.

Aeden smiled at her knowingly. "I only told you that I would speak to him about the… possibility. However that will not be possible for two reasons. The first is due to some very interesting documents we found in Cailan's locked chest when we returned to Ostagar and put his body to rest. I have no doubt that you know what these documents refer to, _your majesty_, and that you would prefer that I do not make public the content."

Anora flinched. Aeden knew he had hit a major nerve with the icy woman.

"And the second reason, Warden?" she stammered.

"Alistair couldn't possibly marry you. He is already married."

As Anora stood there, mouth agape in shock, Eamon cleared his throat. "As the arbiter of this dispute, what is your decision? Who will lead Ferelden?"

Aeden straightened his back and was careful to project and enunciate clearly, as his father had always taught him to do whenever he had to address a large audience. He looked his friend squarely in the eye as he said one word, "Alistair."

Alistair followed Aeden's lead, speaking just as clearly as his friend. "And I accept that decision."

Eamon looked sternly at Anora. "Anora, the Landsmeet has decided against you. You must now swear fealty to our king, and relinquish all claim to the throne for yourself and your heirs."

"If you think I will swear that oath, Eamon, you know nothing of me," she spat at him.

Aeden looked at her warily. "You will have to do something about her, Alistair."

He nodded sadly. "I suppose that's true."

"We cannot leave Ferelden in a state of civil war. We must have unity. If she will not swear fealty to you, Alistair, and renounce her claim to the throne, she is a threat to us all."

Alistair straightened his back and looked at her. He knew that his own mind was still reeling from the outcome of the duel, and he felt sympathy for Anora who was standing there looking like a cornered animal. Perhaps if she were given time to grieve for her father and to reflect on everything that was wrong with her rule, she would reconsider and swear fealty at a later time. "Put her in the tower for now. I hardly think now is the proper time for any more life changing decisions. We must move on to the Blight. After we have defeated the archdemon, we will discuss this further."

Eamon agreed. "Very well then. Guards, take her away."

The guards walked to Anora. As the captain of the guard took her arm, she shook his hand off with great annoyance. "You shall not touch me. I am your queen, whether the Landsmeet agrees or not." She walked out of the chamber, holding her head high, refusing to accept her fate.

As soon as the escort was out of the chamber, Eamon turned back to Alistair. "Your Highness, would you address the Landsmeet?"

Alistair smiled sheepishly. "Oh… that would be me. Right… um, I never knew him, but from all I've heard of my father, what defined him was his commitment to protecting this land." He nervously ran his hand through his hair.

Having already seen how anxious her husband was, Delia had quietly moved to his side. She touched his arm and smiled at him as he looked at her. "Just tell them what to do," she whispered approvingly.

Suddenly Alistair felt at ease. He took a deep breath, smiled at his wife, and continued to speak. "Everyone, get ready to march. It's going to take all of Ferelden's might to survive this Blight."

As the nobles roared in approval, Alistair looked at his companions with determination in his eyes. "We'd better get going. Ferelden is depending on us."

As much as Alistair wanted to meet with his companions to formulate a strategy, he was suddenly besieged by nobles who insisted on having a war council. Reluctantly, Alistair agreed. He asked Aeden, Riordan and Oghren to assist with the council and Shale to stay for protection. For some reason, he didn't think any of the nobles would even attempt an attack with his own personal golem standing behind him!

As the nobles began to leave the chamber either to return to their houses or to the council chamber, Alistair took Delia aside.

"Listen, I want you to be here with me, but I think you need to get Dairren back to the estate. He needs to rest. Take the others with you and I'll be there as soon as I can."

Delia looked at him and sighed. "I understand. Just… be careful. I'll see you later then."

Alistair pulled her close and kissed her. As he heard Aeden clear his throat from the doorway, he pulled back, smiled at her apologetically, and strode away. Delia couldn't help but be impressed at how confident he seemed. Alistair suddenly really looked like a king, and she felt, just as suddenly, unworthy of her husband.

Delia walked to the corner of the chamber where her companions were gathered. Dairren was sitting next to Wynne and he looked at her expectantly as she drew closer.

"Are we going back to the estate? Have you seen Father anywhere?" Dairren seemed overly anxious.

Delia kneeled in front of him and put her hand on his knee. "We're going to the estate now, and no, I haven't seen Father. I expect he's left with all the other lesser nobles." As she stood back up she looked around at her friends. "Alistair said they would meet us at the estate later, so let's go there now."

Delia followed behind the group as Sten and Wynne led the way. Trent was assisting Dairren with Leliana's help. Noticing her gloomy demeanor, Zevran moved next to Delia who was absentmindedly scratching Griffon behind his ear.

"Ah, such a sad face for a woman as lovely as you. Whatever is the matter, my dear?" Zevran cooed as he slipped his arm around her waist.

"Oh, just feeling out of sorts. I'll be fine." She tried to smile at him, but he knew better.

Zevran tried the entire walk back to the estate to tease her out of her mood. He finally got a smile from her as they entered the market square when a man approached him from the shadows.

"I'm here to atone. I did you bad with that last tip. It can't end like that! Those noble ponces won't have the last laugh, eh?" The man looked around to see if there were others listening. "You game for one last heist?"

Zevran frowned. "This better go down better than last time."

"No bloody trap this time I'd stake my life on it… well, yours too. We're stealing the Tears of Andraste."

Delia gasped. "The Tears of Andraste?"

The man looked at her seriously. "You care about the history? Don't know how much of a Chantry going folk you are."

Zevran looked at the man with a raised eyebrow. "Tell me about the tears."

The man wrung his hands. "There aren't many things as holy as the Tears of Andraste. Legend has it before the Maker spoke to Andraste She despaired at the fate of Her fellows. Her husband, Maferath – before he became a right bastard – would come to console her. She would tell him of Her despair, and She'd always shed a single tear. Every night he captured each tear in a vial. A full thirty nights that went on. Maferath was worried sick. On the thirtieth night the vial was full and when dawn came that's when Andraste had her first vision of the Maker. Some of that story isn't in the Chant of Light, but it's been passed on for ages. Everyone agrees that the Tears are a holy relic."

"Do the Tears do anything?" Delia asked curiously.

"They're holy, precious and… wet. But it's what they symbolize that's important."

"So who has it now?" Zevran asked, his tone darkening.

"Bann Franderal's father secretly acquired the real Tears decades ago. And his son still has them locked up tight. The same Franderal that baited that trap. So I propose you go to his _real_ vault. And rob him blind." The man's face twitched. "Afterwards, I'll see that the Tears of Andraste are given to the Chantry."

Delia stood there as the man explained to Zevran how to break into the estate. After they shook hands and the man left, Delia looked at her friend in astonishment.

"You can't possibly believe that thief would give the Tears to the Chantry, do you? He doesn't seem the honorable sort."

Zevran laughed. "Oh, he's honorable as far as thieves go. He and I have had our… dealings in the past. He has never steered me wrong. Well, there was the last job. The one that Bann Franderal set his trap and we were nearly caught, but alas, the Bann cannot outsmart me."

"Do you intend to go after the Tears? Do you really believe the Bann has them?" she whispered so no one would hear.

"I doubt he actually has them. However, the directions my friend Slim has provided will indeed gain entrance to the Bann's secret vault. I am certain that such a venture could be very profitable."

"When do you intend to go?"

"I will coax my shadier friends to go with me tonight, for I believe your handsome husband will ask us to leave Denerim tomorrow. Time is of the essence!" He smiled at her teasingly.

"Zev, can I go with you?" Delia wanted to protect the Tears. She had learned about them in her religion class back at school and worried that they might fall into the hands of someone who would try to use them for the wrong reasons.

Zevran took her face between his hands. "No, my lovely Delia. I cannot allow you to take such a risk. You will be crowned Queen of Ferelden."

"Well, would you promise me something?"

"Anything, mi hermana."

"If you find the Tears, would you give them to me instead of Slim? I can't in good conscience allow such an important artifact to fall to the hands of our enemies. Please, Zev…"

Zevran smiled at her and kissed her forehead. "I never intended to give him something so valuable. However, you have my word that should I locate these Tears, they shall be yours to do with as you please."

Delia smiled and nodded at him. "Thank you, mi hermano." She hugged him tight.

Zevran hugged her back just as tightly. His face betrayed the feelings he tried so hard to hide. This woman was the only person who honestly had ever cared for him, and he would not disappoint her. This was something he would do for her that no one else could, not even her flesh and blood brother. Perhaps it was a way to cement their relationship forever, for he feared losing his sister. Having never been allowed to fear during his life in the Crows, he worried that he was losing his edge.

"Come, my dear. Let us get back to the estate before you are missed."

Once inside the estate, a servant gave Delia a note from her brother. He wished to speak to her privately, so after making sure their other companions were fine Delia walked to Dairren's quarters. She found her brother shaking in a chair next to the fireplace.

"Dairren are you alright? Are you cold?" She picked up the extra blanket at the foot of his bed and started to wrap it around his shoulders.

He threw it off with an angry look. "No, I'm not cold. I am terrified! You and I are sheep led to the slaughter! You can't possibly believe Father's act at the Landsmeet today, can you?"

Delia sat in the chair next to his and looked into his eyes. His terror was flooding her talent and she felt overwhelmed. Taking a deep breath, she placed her hand on top of his and tried to think logically.

"Neither of us will ever be able to trust Father. Not after everything we've been through. I wasn't close enough to him to know what he was feeling, and my instinct tells me it was an act. However, there is a part of me that wishes that it could be real."

"How will we be safe here? We should leave at once; perhaps take a ship back to Antiva." His face clearly showed his frustration. "There is no one who can protect us from him."

Delia grew angry. "My friends _will_ protect us. Alistair will protect us."

Dairren stood up heatedly. "Alistair. Just how will he protect us, hmm? Didn't you notice how he immediately left your side after the Landsmeet? He has his crown – now he no longer needs you."

Delia slapped her brother across his cheek. "How… dare… you. You know nothing about Alistair, but you _should_ remember your lessons on Landsmeet protocols. I could not attend the war council meeting even if he wanted me to. I have not been made queen yet, and he could only bring a few people with him."

"And by now Father will have recruited all his evil friends to come and _rescue_ us from the wardens. Your friends will not be able to fight against his minions." Dairren stormed across the room. "You used to trust my judgment. You used to listen to what I felt was the best course of action. What has happened to us?"

Delia took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. "Dairren, you have no idea how difficult our obstacles have been ever since Duncan rescued Aeden and me from Highever. No matter how many words I use, you weren't there. You must believe me when I tell you that our companions are among the most incredible group of fighters you could imagine. We have fought demons, werewolves, golems... and lived to tell the tales. Please have faith in _my_ judgment."

She walked over to her brother and gently placed her hand on his arm to turn him toward her. He looked at her so sadly. He looked so lost and alone, and Delia didn't know what the true problem was.

"So… I guess you don't need me then." The words came from Dairren's mouth and cut Delia as much as any knife.

"How can you say that?" she whispered irritably. "You are my brother – my twin! You were my entire world for the better portion of my life! It's not my fault things have changed since Antiva. And it's not like we didn't expect that things would be different anyway. After all, you were going to be fighting with Teryn Cousland and Mother was trying to convince Aeden to marry me. Instead you were tortured and I have been the one fighting."

"And then there's Alistair…" he hissed through his teeth.

"Why do you dislike Alistair so much? He has been wonderful to me."

"Oh really? I know these warriors. How many other women has he sweet talked before you? How long did it take for you to sleep with him?"

Delia's mouth opened in shock. "Alistair was always a complete gentleman with me. We never _slept_ together until we were married. There was one time when he could have taken advantage of me when I nearly froze to death and he slept _by my side_ all night to keep me warm, but he never was anything but chivalrous. The boys at school were far more forward than Alistair ever was! If you don't believe me, ask Trent or Wynne, or anyone else who has been traveling with us!"

Dairren was still fuming, but carefully thought before he spoke again. "Perhaps I should leave by myself then. Obviously there is no place for me here."

"What? Don't say that." Tears formed in her eyes and started to roll down her cheeks. "I only just got you back…"

"And what does that matter. Father will have me dead in no time. I have no other place to go. There is nothing for me here in Ferelden."

Delia thought quickly. "And what if I could secure a position for you? I might have some influence with the king, after all. You would be protected by the Royal Guard. And Alistair will need educated advisors as well as his warriors. Please, Dairren, don't give up so hastily. And don't think I don't need you. I will always need you, and your niece or nephew will need you too."

Dairren's shoulders slumped in exhaustion. He walked back to his chair and sat heavily. Delia walked behind him and put her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. He placed his hand on hers and leaned his head against her cheek.

"Dairren, I love you. I missed you more than words could ever say. You have to accept my marriage. I don't want to lose you again! Alistair will do whatever he can to make you comfortable, I promise. I know him, and more than that, I believe in him. Please try, my brother."

She walked to the door and left him. When he heard the door close, Dairren started to sob quietly. He might be terrified of his father, but the thought of losing his sister was the worst torture he had ever endured.


	74. Chapter 74

Chapter 74: A Father's Legacy

Delia was sitting on the window seat of her quarters when she heard a soft knock on her door.

"You may enter," she called to her visitor. The door opened and one of Eamon's servants entered.

"My lady, I was asked to come and tell you that dinner is served."

Delia nodded. "Thank you. I'm sorry, I don't know your name."

The elf looked nervous. "My name? It's Nigella, my lady. Have… have I done something to offend you?"

Delia smiled gently at her. "Not at all, I simply wanted to know your name." She stood and looked at the elf sadly. "Nigella, do you know if the wardens have returned from the Landsmeet?"

She shook her head. "I'm sorry, my lady, they aren't here as of yet. Will you be coming to dinner on your own or would you like me to ask one of the gentlemen to escort you?"

"Thank you, but I will find my own way downstairs."

Nigella nodded and left the room. Delia looked at herself in the mirror. Her face seemed to show every tear she had shed that afternoon. Most were due to her conversation with her brother and his jealousy, but many were because of her own fears. Maybe Dairren was right and Alistair didn't need her anymore. She felt very inadequate. After all, Alistair now was the acknowledged King of Ferelden. Delia might be his wife, but with her legal parentage she had no doubt the nobles would question her appropriateness as the king's wife. Perhaps they would force Alistair to put her aside. She rubbed her abdomen, willing herself to feel the life growing inside of her and trying to relax.

Before leaving her room, she took a small towel and wet it in the wash basin. She washed her face, hoping the cool water would reduce her puffy eyes and hide the evidence of her distress. As she walked downstairs, she could hear her companions already conversing. The sound of their banter helped her settle down and she was able to easily join in the conversation after she sat with Trent, Leliana and Zevran. Dairren sat across the room with Wynne, Sten and Morrigan. Every once in a while, Delia would notice him as he watched her, but if she looked his way he would avert his eyes so she tried her best to ignore him.

As Delia laughed at Zevran's antics teasing Leliana about her Chantry life one of Eamon's guardsmen, a man named Zachary, entered the dining room and walked towards her. As he grew close, Delia looked up at him and tried to smile even though she suddenly was terrified of what he had to say.

"My lady, I am very sorry to disturb your dinner, but there is a visitor who requests an audience. I tried to tell him that the Arl wasn't back yet from the Landsmeet, but he insisted it was you he wished to speak to." The guard seemed disturbed by the situation, so Delia decided it was up to her to resolve things.

"Did the man give his name, Zachary?" she asked gently.

"Yes, my lady. It's Bann Loren."

Suddenly the room went quiet as Delia's companions became guarded. "Well, I suppose you will have to send him in, but I would like him escorted by several of your best men."

"Yes, my lady." He bowed to her and left to escort the Bann.

Delia straightened her back nervously. Zevran placed his hand on hers and looked at her in support. They could hear Bann Loren as he strode through the hallway as he complained about his escort.

"I do _not_ require a guard to see my own children," he spat furiously as he finally entered the room. Noticing Delia, he affected a smile and walked toward her with his arms opened wide. "Ah, my darling daughter, there you are! Finally, I will be able to take you home _where you belong._"

Dairren was visibly shaking. Wynne silently cast a rejuvenation spell on him to give him more stamina. Delia slowly stood to face her legal father as her biological father sat at her side, ready to leap to her defense.

"I _am_ where I belong. You have no jurisdiction over me and cannot force me to go anywhere." She tried to keep her emotions in control and show nothing but confidence as her expression.

"No daughter of mine will pretend to be a Grey Warden. You've been raised to be a lady, not a warrior. I will arrange a marriage for you that will benefit me… ah… both of us." He looked to his left and glared at his son. "Dairren, don't sit there looking like a mouse. It's time you grew up and at least tried to act like a man. Go and retrieve whatever things you and your sister have with you. You will both come back to the manor house tonight."

"No, I won't," Dairren growled.

"You will obey me or there will be consequences." Loren bared his teeth as he tried to intimidate his children. "Do not tarry any longer. I already have appointments arranged for tomorrow with several banns I have been… out of touch with for a period of time. Your marriages will assure our family's prosperity, especially in these troubled times."

Delia put her hand on Trent's shoulder as he tried to stand. This was her problem to deal with, and if she was going to be the queen it was time for her to act like one.

"No one will be leaving this estate with you tonight or any other night. My _husband_ would be extremely angry with you if you were to attempt to force the issue, and every person in this room has sworn to keep me safe."

Loren became enraged. "Husband? Who married you without your father's consent? Was it young Cousland or Teagan? I'll have his hide…"

As he pounded his fist into his hand, Delia took a deep breath and showed no fear except for the slightest of shaking of her hands under the table top. "No, I am not married to Aeden Cousland, nor am I married to Bann Teagan. I am married to Alistair Theirin, son of King Maric, and soon to be crowned King of Ferelden."

Loren looked at her in shock, and then started laughing uproariously. "You! Married to Maric's bastard? At least I would have believed one of the other two, but this… even _you_ should realize that lie is as easy to see through as a window! Enough of your ridiculous attempts to remain with these outsiders. Get your things and come with me _now_."

"She'll not go anywhere with you or anyone else. Except for me, of course. But then, she is my wife and she's supposed to be with me." Alistair had walked unnoticed to the room's side entrance and was leaning against the door jam, arms crossed in front of him. Aeden stood next to him, hand on his sword's hilt and ready to use it in a heartbeat. Eamon and Teagan stood behind them along with Oghren and Shale.

Loren looked at his new king and chuckled. "If it isn't _his majesty_. Perhaps you would like to explain to me then, how a man would marry another man's daughter without permission? Even as the king, the Chantry frowns on that sort of behavior."

Alistair stood straight and strode confidently into the room. "It wouldn't look very good at all, had I indeed married your daughter without her father's permission, but I believe that Ser Trent has documents that prove that even _you_ knew that Delia and Dairren were not ever your children to begin with and that _he_ is their true father."

"They were born to my wife after our marriage, and such are legally mine." Loren snarled at Alistair. He was starting to look like a caged animal, his eyes burning with anger.

"Only because you tricked Bann Alfred into allowing the marriage in the first place. Actually, I believe that had it not been for the fact that you used the knowledge of Lady Landra's pregnancy to blackmail him into agreeing to the marriage he would have actually had you in the stockade yourself. You've been a very _bad_ man, Bann Loren. I've heard many interesting stories about your… loyalties over the past few hours." He walked to his wife and took her hand, pressing it to his lips in a gentle kiss. "Actually, my dear, I must apologize for our delay. Had it not been for the many… _many_ nobles who approached me with concerns about Bann Loren's actions over the past years I would have been back with you much earlier."

"Bann Loren, I have received documented complaints against you from no less than twenty two members of the Landsmeet. You aided and abetted Loghain as he committed crimes against Ferelden, including, but certainly not limited to, assisting in the poisoning of Arl Eamon. The assembled banns have requested an immediate trial. There is only one reason why I didn't sign an immediate warrant, and that is our impending battle against the horde and the archdemon itself." Alistair grasped his hands behind his back and paced in front of Loren. "The way I see it is you have a choice to make. You may either fight with us in the upcoming battle, thereby earning the right to continue ruling your bannorn after we defeat the Blight, albeit with certain provisions to limit your power, or you may transfer your bannorn to Dairren, who is the rightful Bann anyway, according to documents signed by Bann Alfred himself and held in trust by Ser Trent."

"I want to see these complaints for myself. Why should I believe anything you say?" Loren spat out with contempt.

Eamon stepped forward and opened up a leather satchel he carried. He removed a stack of documents that even when compressed stood a good thumb's length tall.

"The evidence weighs heavily against you, Bann Loren." Alistair stopped his pacing and faced the man with a commanding expression. "So, what say you? What is your choice?"

Loren's face paled as he looked over the documents. He thought he had covered his tracks better than this, there were far too many witnesses to his deeds. Loghain had promised that if he delivered his daughter to Howe all evidence against him would be erased, but had assured him that all documents were in his own possession. He felt trapped and tried to stem his panic, but his fears overtook him and he drew his sword menacingly and faced Alistair.

"How… dare… you make these false accusations against me, and in front of _my children_. I do not accept your terms. Indeed, I challenge you to an honor duel."

Aeden laughed. "Oh, you don't want to do that. Really. Didn't you see how he trounced Loghain earlier today? Fighting you would be like fighting a practice dummy for him."

No one noticed as Dairren walked to Alistair's side. "I'll do it. I'll fight him."

"Dairren, no… you're still recovering. You don't have the strength." Delia was suddenly terrified as she noticed the determination in her brother's eyes.

"No, my son. It is time for me to have vengeance, not only for myself, but for the family I should have always had." Trent stood slowly. He looked at Delia and Dairren and smiled, then focused his attention on Loren. "It is time to settle this. Wynne and Leliana, please keep Delia and Dairren inside. They should not have to witness this, no matter who the Maker favors tonight."

The men made their way outside, leaving Delia and Dairren with their friends. Guards were stationed at the doors to prevent the siblings from watching the bloodbath, but they were able to hear the clash of steel from the courtyard. The only thing Delia could do was pray to the Maker for the safety of Trent, who was not only her true father, but had become one of her most trusted friends. It wasn't very long before the sounds of the duel stopped suddenly. Shortly afterward they heard the clatter of footsteps returning to the dining hall.

Alistair and Aeden led the way inside. When Delia saw her husband enter the room she flew into his arms. As he tried to calm her, it seemed as though every guardsman on Eamon's staff entered the room. Finally, Delia noticed two guards who were assisting a third man as they crossed into the room. She looked over and caught the eye of the injured man. He winked and smiled and her heart skipped a beat as she realized it was Trent.

She ran to her father and helped him to sit near the fire. As Wynne started to perform healing magic, Delia removed his armor. It was covered in blood that was obviously not his own. No one needed to tell her that Bann Loren was dead. His years of abuse were permanently over, and she and Dairren were finally free of him.

Loren had managed to land a few lucky hits on Trent, but even the worst of his wounds were easily tended to by Wynne. Eamon asked a servant to draw a bath for Trent, and Sten and Zevran took it upon themselves to help the warrior back to his quarters. Before they left the room, Trent looked at his two beloved children with tears in his eyes.

"I should have done that a long time ago. Had I taken my own council instead of following Bann Alfred's orders, that monster would never have hurt you two." He reached into his shirt pocket and retrieved a leather envelope. Handing it to Dairren, he smiled. "These documents return Bann Alfred's lands to you, the rightful heir of your grandfather's properties. I hope that you will be able to restore honor to the manor."

Dairren nodded and gave Trent a warrior's handshake. As Trent turned to leave, Dairren put his arm on the man's arm causing him to face Dairren. The son tentatively moved toward the father and hugged him. Delia smiled, knowing that her brother would be fine now. He didn't have to worry about Loren dragging him back for more abuse and he seemed to accept gratefully the fact that Trent was his true father.

As Trent left the room Alistair put his hand on Dairren's shoulder. "Well, then, I guess my plans will have to change then."

Dairren turned to him, bewildered. "What plans are those, Your Majesty?"

Alistair chuckled. "Well, I suppose my first plan is to stop you from calling me 'Your Majesty', at least when we're alone. We're family, Dairren. Don't be so formal. Actually, I've been thinking a lot today about you." He held his hand up, smiling good naturedly. "I know, I know, it's almost like the world has ended. 'What, Alistair had a thought?' Anyway… I was thinking that I will be needing advisors. My life has been rather… sheltered, and I need people with many different types of experience to help me after the Blight to keep our land running smoothly. You have education and have traveled and I thought that you might be willing to be one of my advisors. Would you consider it, even now that you have your family lands under your control?"

Dairren blinked in confusion. "Why would you want me? Why would you even think of it?"

Alistair smiled again. "You are my brother in law, and your legal father was in town. Knowing what he had treated you like in the past, I knew what to expect for his treatment of you in the future. Somehow I needed to find a reason to keep you from him and I thought with your studies of history and politics you would be a wonderful advisor. It's a bit selfish of me, really, wanting your expertise for myself, but it doesn't hurt that it would also make my wife happy, which is something that I strive to do every day."

Dairren looked at Alistair, who was looking at his wife with his boyish lopsided grin, and realized that the man was indeed hopelessly in love with Delia. Something inside of him unknotted and he suddenly felt more relaxed than he had ever since he left his school. Alistair was a man who seemed to be truly trying to do the right thing with every breath he took, and Dairren felt ashamed to have doubted him.

"Alistair, I would be honored to work for you in whatever capacity you need. Thank you."

Alistair smiled at him warmly and shook his hand. "No, Dairren, thank _you_. Your support means more to me than you'll ever know." He released Dairren's hand and looked around to his companions. "Alright, I suggest we all get a good night's rest. We need to get an early start to Redcliffe in the morning. Eamon is leaving tonight with his men. We will be bringing soldiers from all the houses of Ferelden with us. The horde is on the move."

Delia was waiting in their quarters when Alistair finally entered the room. As soon as his eyes met hers he visibly relaxed and smiled lovingly. The first thing he did was to walk to her and gather her into his arms, burying his face in her hair.

"Mmm… you have no idea how much I missed you today. Having you at my side makes everything so much better."

"Are you sure? I couldn't help but think I wasn't included in the war council because I was a hindrance." She pushed away from him and walked to the bed. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she looked at the floor, wishing she hadn't said a word.

"Delia, I wanted you there more than anything, but I couldn't exactly bring as many people as I wanted. I brought Aeden because he is a Cousland as well as the one who has planned all our strategy since Ostagar. I brought Oghren because he is a strong warrior as well as a dwarf, and I wanted him to be a visible reminder of the other peoples of Ferelden who will be fighting the Blight with us. Riordan had to be there, since he's the ranking Grey Warden, and Shale was there simply to deter anyone from trying to fight me. I wanted to also protect you from the nobles. As it was, your name came up in the discussions."

"Why? Do they think that because I'm traveling with you my father had undue influence on you?"

"Partly." He sat next to her on the bed and took her hand in his. "It actually started with nobles who wanted to make… arrangements for me to meet certain members of their families."

Delia looked up at him curiously. "What kind of arrangements?"

Alistair ran his hand through his hair nervously. "It's kind of funny, really. They wanted me to… meet their daughters. Their reactions to my informing them of the fact that I was married and didn't think that my wife would appreciate their 'arrangements' were priceless, really. That's actually how the discussions started about your father, if I might use the term loosely. I think even you would be shocked to hear the horrendous things your father has done."

"So, I take it they didn't react well hearing that his daughter was now your wife." Delia felt sick, knowing how judgmental the nobles could be.

"Actually, they all have a rather high opinion of you and your brother. Lots of language bantered about your intellect, sweet natures, how you take after your mother and all that. Then it turned to what rubbish Loren was and how terribly he treated your mother and grandfather. They all had such great respect for Bann Alfred – I actually had many compliments about marrying the granddaughter of such a fine man and hero of Ferelden! Bann Alfstanna herself told me that she would be very happy to call you her queen." He smiled at her and took her face in his hands. "Delia, the people of our country believe in you, despite your father. You are their hope that your grandfather's blood remains to help lead our country out of our despair. I think my marrying you has only helped to cement my position as their king!"

He kissed her, gently at first, but when her hands moved to entwine in his hair he grew bolder.

"Now, my dear, I do believe we should take advantage of the few hours we have alone. Tomorrow we will lead the troops to Redcliffe and will have to suffer sleeping in our tent yet again. Personally, I would hate to see this nice, soft, comfortable bed go to waste." His eyes grew hungry and tone husky and dark. Delia could see where his thoughts were headed and she completely agreed with him. They quickly disrobed, and spent some quality time as husband and wife before sleep finally overtook them as they lay each in the other's embrace.


	75. Chapter 75

Chapter 75: Troop Movement

Morning came far too quickly for Alistair. He woke to the most wonderful feeling – he had slept very well and the first thing he saw as he opened his eyes was his beautiful wife sleeping in his arms. She looked so peaceful and comfortable, and he hated to rouse her but knew they had their responsibilities to attend to.

He reached over and moved a stray hair off the front of her face. His hand then gently caressed the contour of her cheek, causing her to stir and open her eyes sleepily.

"Good morning, my love," he whispered as he kissed her softly. "I'm so sorry to have to wake you, but we have a lot to do."

Delia yawned and stretched before pulling her husband close in a hug. "Can't we stay in bed a few more minutes?"

Alistair chuckled softly, kissing her forehead, and was just about to agree when there was a soft knock on the door. "Enter," Alistair called to the visitor.

Aeden entered the door and laughed. "So, I guess that marriage makes you lazy! Sorry to disturb you, _Your Majesty_, but someone had to wake you up. Or did you forget that we march to Redcliffe this morning?" he teased mercilessly.

Alistair threw a pillow at him. "If you call me 'Your Majesty' one more time when there aren't any non-family members around I'll have you thrown in the stockade for insubordination!" As Aeden laughed even louder, Alistair groaned. "Alright, alright. Give us a few minutes to dress and we'll be downstairs."

As soon as Aeden closed the door the couple dressed and packed their belongings. Once they were ready they walked downstairs carrying their packs. One of the servants noticed them and immediately intervened.

"No, no, no… you mustn't bother yourselves with carrying your packs, Your Majesties. You must call a servant to do such menial tasks for you."

Alistair looked the man straight in the eye and answered him gruffly. "I understand that you are doing your job, but I am still a Grey Warden and I am perfectly capable of carrying my own equipment. Please, just go and carry on with your other duties. If anyone asks, I'll surely tell them that I forced you to allow me to perform such an ordinary task."

He led Delia the rest of the way to the dining room with a scowl on his face, making Delia giggle.

"You'll have to get used to that, you know." She looked at him with a twinkle in her eye.

He sighed. "I suppose so, but I don't think I'll ever _like_ it."

They took seats at a table with Trent and Aeden. Delia looked around and noticed that everyone was there except for one person – Zevran. She grew concerned when he still hadn't shown by the time they left the room for the courtyard. The stable hands had their horses and cart ready before they exited the estate, and as Alistair, Aeden and Riordan walked around to the different divisions of troops to speak to their leaders Delia looked around for Zevran. The group was nearly ready to leave when Zevran finally ran up to them.

"Zev! Where have you been? I was so worried…" Delia shouted as she pulled him into an embrace.

Zevran was flustered. "I assure you, mi hermana, I am perfectly fine. I simply was running an errand for a… a friend."

"What errand? I want to know, Zev." She looked at her friend worriedly.

"Right now I believe we need to leave, but I promise to tell you the tale when we have the opportunity later." He leaned in and kissed her on the forehead. "Allow me to assist you onto your horse," he said with a smile as he wove his fingers together and held his hands low.

As she mounted her horse, she scrutinized her friend's face. "Alright, but you will explain it to me later. For now, I am very glad that you are safe. Please, don't scare me like that."

"For what it is worth, I am sorry I frightened you, my dear. We will speak of this later, I promise." Zevran left her side and found his own horse, mounting it gracefully.

Delia maneuvered her horse next to her husband's. As soon as Alistair was told that all the troops were ready he gave the signal to begin their trek. The weather could have been worse, but it certainly wasn't optimal. It was cold, and a mist had settled in from the sea making visibility low. Riordan had gone the night before with Eamon and his guard to help them avoid the darkspawn as much as possible, so with him gone, Alistair had asked Zachary to lead the contingent along with his best men. The wardens followed behind Zachary and his group, trailed by the wardens' friends and the remainder of the gathered troops behind.

Their journey was uneventful. Most of Alistair's time was occupied being asked questions by various commanders so Delia moved her horse back so she could converse with Wynne and Leliana. When they finally took a break for a light meal, Alistair sat with his wife. When several other commanders approached he waved them away, telling them they needed some time alone. Delia beamed with pride that he would think to make time specifically for her and that he commanded enough respect by the men that they didn't question his statement.

The afternoon was also spent traveling and when Aeden finally ordered camp to be set up the wardens' companions were surprised when the troops accompanying them refused to allow them to perform the set up work. Instead, they all sat around the campfire as the soldiers performed the tasks. As much as Alistair appreciated the chance to enjoy his friends' company, he found he was uncomfortable watching everyone else work and doing nothing to help. He made a mental note to find a way to remedy the situation after the Blight was defeated.

Another surprise waited for Alistair when it was time for sleep. As he and Delia searched for their humble tent unsuccessfully, Zachary tactfully approached them and escorted them to the royal pavilion that was erected for them by the soldiers. He was immediately reminded of Cailan's pavilion at Ostagar, and, although he was initially disturbed, Delia's delight at having feather cushions to sleep on eased his mind. It certainly was warmer and far more comfortable sleeping on the thin mattress with its matching quilts than it was sleeping on the ground with their thin bedrolls.

Delia had been looking for an opportunity to speak to Zevran privately ever since they left Denerim, and after a day and a half of feeling as though the elf was avoiding her she decided to make it happen as soon as they stopped for their lunch the second day. As soon as she dismounted, she whispered in Griffon's ear to find Zevran and bring him to her, no matter what he needed to do. Within a few minutes, her faithful deer hound returned, pulling Zevran by his sleeve.

"Delia, my dear, would you be so kind as to call off your dog? I don't know why he insists to lead me in this fashion, but I am afraid he may do damage to this tunic and I only recently have aged it to perfection."

Delia could see what most others couldn't when it came to Zevran. He tried to hide his true feelings behind a mask of lecherousness, but she could tell that he was afraid of something.

"Zev, Griffon is only doing what I asked him to do. You promised to tell me why you were late yesterday and yet you've been avoiding me."

He looked around and then held his hand out to her. "Follow me and I will explain everything."

They walked together to the edge of the camp, where they were still in plain sight but wouldn't be overheard.

"Do you remember the man I spoke to in the market when we were returning to the estate?" As she nodded he continued to speak. "He asked me to retrieve a certain object from Bann Franderal, if you recall."

"The Tears of Andraste. Yes, I remember. Is that where you were?" Delia looked at him in amazement.

"Yes, my dear. And I was successful." He pulled a small vial from his pocket. "I promised to give them to you if my venture paid off, and I intend to always keep my promises to you, mi hermana." He took her hand, kissed it, and placed the vial into her palm. "You may do with this as you wish. I know you wanted to give them to the Chantry, however the timing could not be helped. Keep them safe and when we return to Denerim you may give them to the curator yourself."

Delia looked at the vial in her hand. It was a small bottle hand carved from a clear quartz crystal. The craftsmanship was exquisite and reminded her of engravings of potion flasks she had seen in ancient texts. The top was sealed with red wax encompassing a cork closure. It certainly was an ancient object, but whether or not it was a true relic was something that would need to be determined with further research.

"Zevran, this is amazing. Thank you. I will see this safely to the Chantry." Her expression changed from one of wonder and curiosity to one of concern. "Were you hurt? You have no idea how worried I was…"

He took her hand in his and looked her in the eyes as he kissed her hand again. "No, my dearest, I was not hurt. As a matter of fact, my friends and I were able to sneak in and out before a single guardsman was able to sneeze. However, you have no idea how much it means to me that you are so concerned about my wellbeing."

Delia allowed her talent to reach out to him. She felt his deep feelings for her, and how he tried to hide them to shield himself from what he believed would be his inevitable heartache. Delia's eyes filled with tears as she reached out and hugged the man who had become her brother in every sense of the word except for blood.

"Zevran, I don't think you realize how important you are to me. If I ever were to lose you, I don't know what I would do… especially now."

"Now? Whatever do you mean?"

Delia pulled back and looked straight into his eyes. "You are a major part of my family, Zevran Arainai, and I fully expect that you will be a huge part of your niece or nephew's life."

He looked confused. "Niece? Nephew? My dear, are you with child?"

She smiled warmly at him. "Yes, Zev. You should have been told along with Trent and Dairren, but I haven't had an opportunity to speak to you alone. They know, and of course Alistair and Wynne know, but no one else yet. Only _my family_."

"Family." The word escaped from his lips almost like a prayer. "You truly think of me as family?"

"Yes, Zev. And no matter what you do or what you say, you cannot change that. Please don't ever doubt how important you are to me. To all of us."

As Zevran pulled her into another hug, he fought back tears. He had a family – people who wouldn't give up on him. A feeling of hope flowed through his being, and for the first time since he was a small boy a real smile brightened his face.

Alistair had been looking for his wife and finally saw her with Zevran. The smile on the elf's face was something Alistair had never seen before, and he approached the two with his own curious smile.

"There you are. I've been looking all over for you." He walked up to them and surveyed them both. "Is everything all right? You both look rather… emotional."

Zevran laughed. It was a sound they had never heard from him. Not a forced or stilted laugh, but something that came straight from the happiness in his heart. As he pulled Alistair into a hug he teased him gently. "Alistair, my dear brother, your lovely wife just informed me that I am to be an uncle. To be honest, I did not believe you, a Chantry raised man, had the capability to actually impregnate any woman!" As he released the flustered king, Zevran slapped him on the back. "I cannot tell you how happy I am at this moment, my friend. And I am honored that Delia has given me this place of distinction in your child's life. I do not know what it takes to be an uncle, but I promise, nay, I give my oath, that I shall treasure your child and protect it with my own life and limb."

Alistair grabbed his arm in a warrior's handshake. "Zev, there are few people we would trust more than you. I never thought I would say this, but I'm actually… glad, in a way, that you tried to assassinate us. I have to admit I am very happy you weren't successful, but I think you understand…"

Zevran's honest laugh permeated the air. "Ah, yes, I understand. And you know, Alistair, so am I." He looked happily at the two of them. "So, when will you be telling the others in our party? I am certain they would be as elated as I am."

Alistair looked at Delia thoughtfully. "I hadn't really thought about it, but perhaps once we reach Redcliffe?"

Delia shook her head. "No, I don't want to celebrate under Eamon's roof. I think we should tell them tonight and celebrate after we've defeated the archdemon."

"As you wish, my dear. Right now I suggest we eat something before we have to mount up again. Zachary doesn't seem to like to wait. He's really even nastier about it than Aeden ever was!"

The three made their way back to the group and were handed their light lunch of bread and cheese. Before they knew it they were back on their horses and under way.

That evening at camp Delia and Alistair spoke to each of their colleagues individually. They didn't want word of the pregnancy to spread around the soldiers, but wanted their friends to know. Everyone was happy for them, at least in their own way. They expected to have unusual reactions from Sten and Shale, but the reaction that puzzled them the most was Morrigan's.

Delia and Alistair approached Morrigan's tent arm in arm. The witch watched them approach warily.

"What do you want? Is it not bad enough that I am ogled all day by these horrid men or must you also torment me all night?" Morrigan's eyes reflected the light of her camp fire, her expression one of a wild, untamed beast.

"We aren't here to bother you, Morrigan. We have some news we wanted to share with you." Delia smiled at her warmly. Morrigan had always been a difficult person to know, but Delia had thought they had become friends over the time they spent exchanging herbalism recipes. Something in her demeanor was more guarded than usual, and it troubled Delia.

"Well, spit it out. I must get sleep or I shall lose my temper on the morrow and set soldiers afire."

"We wanted you to know that we are expecting our first child." Alistair tried to give Morrigan a friendly smile, but the look on the witch's face made him very uncomfortable.

"I suppose you expect me to congratulate you? I thought even _you_ understood that if a man and a woman have intercourse pregnancy tends to be a result." Morrigan grumbled. "If that is all, then leave me be."

Delia frowned. "I… I'm sorry to have disturbed you, Morrigan. We simply wanted to share our happiness with our friends. We won't trouble you any longer."

As Delia and Alistair turned to leave, Morrigan sighed softly. "Delia, I am sorry. You are my friend, and I am indeed happy for you if you are happy. It has been a very… trying day, and I do not mean to treat you in such a rude fashion."

Delia walked to her and hugged her gently. "It's alright, Morrigan. I have seen the way the soldiers react to you. I can understand how uncomfortable it makes you."

Alistair nodded, although he wasn't certain if he believed the mage. "I will speak to Zachary and tell him to speak to the men. They will keep their eyes to themselves."

Morrigan nodded at Alistair. "I… thank you, Alistair. Your assistance is most appreciated. I wish you both a good rest tonight." She walked into her tent as Delia and Alistair walked back to their pavilion.

Once they were inside and alone, with the exception of Griffon who was guarding the entrance, Alistair turned to his wife. His face showed his questions before he spoke, so she decided to preempt him.

"Yes, Alistair, Morrigan is hiding something. I don't know what it is, but it is something important."

He took Delia into his arms and looked deeply into her eyes. "Do you think we should send her away? Is she dangerous?"

She shook her head. "I don't think she's currently dangerous, but I'll ask Zev to keep an eye on her. She definitely has something planned, but I don't think she wants to hurt us."

"I'll go with your feelings, at least for now." He yawned and smiled apologetically. "Let's get to sleep."

Delia hugged him tightly. "Yes. I have a feeling that tomorrow will be… eventful."


	76. Chapter 76

Chapter 76: Monsters Come in Many Forms

The morning began like so many others during their journey together. Alistair and Delia took the time to spar before they ate breakfast, much to the chagrin of Zachary and several other commanders of the troops. The idea that the king would spar, much less with his own queen, left the men feeling that their new rulers were a bit… odd. Of course, the smaller group who had been with the pair since before the Landsmeet knew the routine and why they trained every day. It was part of their life and as natural as breathing.

Once the encampment was packed up and everyone moving along the road, Alistair was again surrounded by the commanders. They expected to reach Redcliffe that afternoon, so the troops were on their guard. Delia found herself to be in good spirits as Wynne and Leliana chatted happily about the baby and all the clothes, toys and furniture they would need to acquire. It was a wonderful way to take their minds off the upcoming battles and feel almost normal for a change.

The commanders decided that rather than stop for lunch they would press forward because they were so close to Redcliffe. It didn't disturb the rank and file very much, as they knew their lunch would simply be delayed by a couple of hours, but Alistair and Aeden were not happy. Their hunger seemed to increase with every step the horses took. Delia could see their discomfort and reached into her pack for some dried meat as she maneuvered her horse to her husband's side. Both the wardens were grateful to have something in their stomachs, especially when they approached a bridge on the outskirts of the village only to be flagged down by a terrified man.

"Its… you! The Grey Warden!" The man was visibly shaken and out of breath. "Andraste's mercy that you got here when you did. I thought for sure these monsters were going to get me."

"What's happened? Where is everyone?" Aeden looked around and saw nothing. There were no other people nearby, and he didn't feel the pull from the darkspawn so they couldn't be very close.

"They all fled to the castle this morning, before the darkspawn arrived. I thought I could make it to my home and back before they got here, but it took me too long to get down here. What a relief you arrived!"

"Are there more darkspawn at the castle? Alistair looked worried.

"By now, yes, they'd have reached the castle walls." The man looked around. "I'm going to get out of here before any more of these things arrive. Thank you again!"

He ran off before they could ask him any further questions. The wardens exchanged a certain look that Delia knew meant they had to search out the monsters and destroy them quickly. Aeden called out to their companions and the two led a charge into the center of town. They moved so quickly the troops didn't even realize the wardens and their friends had left their ranks.

They dismounted at the top of the hill near the windmill. Aeden and Alistair led the charge down the hill with their group following at their heels. Their fears were realized when they found several small bands of darkspawn milling about the now abandoned town. Each member of the party fought valiantly, easily exterminating the vermin in a well-rehearsed routine. It wasn't until the battle was over and each fighter was cleaning their blades that Alistair suddenly had a sickening thought – Delia. Where was she? He looked around, an expression of absolute horror on his face until he finally caught sight of her, sitting on a boulder talking to Wynne.

He ran to her and grabbed her shoulders without warning. As she looked at him in shock he nearly shouted at her, "Are you alright? What are you thinking – fighting in your condition! Maker's breath, woman, you are going to be the death of me!"

Delia put her hands on his face and shooshed him. "Calm down, Alistair. I'm fine, and I'm only doing what I have been doing ever since I took up arms training with Duncan. This is nothing new to me now. Look," she said as she held her arms in front of him, "not even a scratch. Relax, love."

He took her face between his hands and looked at her seriously. "I can't relax. Everything has changed, you must remember that. You aren't just another one of Duncan's recruits anymore. You will be crowned queen and you are pregnant with our child – my heir! I can't allow you to fight with us anymore. Please… I have to keep you both safe. I couldn't bear to lose you or the baby."

Delia could feel the terror flowing from him. He needed to not just think that she was safe, he needed to know it, and if she joined the fighting it would simply have to be purely for self-defense from now on for his sake… for the sake of Ferelden. "I promise, Alistair, I'll stay out of the battles from now on. Please, relax now. I am fine, really, and I won't fight again unless I'm forced to."

She kissed him gently and he visibly settled. The rest of the group circled around them and Aeden began to lead them back up the hill toward the main entrance of the castle. Alistair put his arm around his wife as the two followed behind their companions. As the party rejoined their troops and headed across the final bridge toward the castle gates, Alistair and Aeden could feel more darkspawn in front of them. Delia took the reins of their horses with her own, wordlessly reassuring her husband that she would remain out of the fighting.

Delia heard the clashing of swords and knew there were more creatures in the courtyard than they had expected. The troops that recently joined the wardens had never encountered such a force previously, and their fear seemed to travel out to Delia through the air like the waves from a pebble being tossed into a lake. The roar of an ogre made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. She needed something to distract her so that the wave of terror would stop overwhelming her.

Luckily Dairren had been riding in the cart. He was still too weak to ride a horse for an extended time but had refused to stay in Denerim alone. Seeing the concern written on his sister's face, he put his arm around her shoulders. She smiled at him and put her arm around his waist.

"You're worried, but I've seen them fight. I'm certain they are fine."

Delia sighed. "Oh, I am too. I wish I were fighting alongside my friends. That isn't what's troubling me." As her brother gave her a curious look, Delia tried to explain. "My talent seems to be getting stronger. The greater the emotion coming from another person, the easier it is for me to 'feel' it. This battle is difficult because the soldiers who have never fought darkspawn are petrified, and their emotions are flooding to me. I'm feeling… overwhelmed."

Dairren pulled her into a hug and tried to distract her by starting a game of 'I Spy'. It didn't take long before he had her giggling. Only her brother would step on an ant and then have her look for something starting with the letter 'D' for 'dead bug'. She felt like she was six years old again, playing the same game at Grandfather's hunting lodge.

One of Bann Bryland's soldiers suddenly ran across the bridge toward them. "My Lord, my Lady; the wardens have defeated the darkspawn. They asked me to bring you and the others who remained here to the castle. Please follow me."

Delia and Dairren followed the soldier along with the troops who were left to protect the horses. Stable hands ran toward them to retrieve the horses and carts. The courtyard of the castle was a bloodbath. Darkspawn corpses lay everywhere, and soldiers were already collecting them to be burned on pyres. Dairren had never seen the black blood of the darkspawn and the smell made him ill. The two quickly made their way up the stairs, meeting the wardens at the top next to the castle doors. A messenger was giving instructions to Aeden as Alistair turned to his wife, hugging her warmly.

As they walked through the doors they were met by one of Eamon's servants who requested that Alistair and Aeden follow him. Riordan was waiting with Eamon and Teagan and needed the wardens for a strategy meeting. Turning to his wife with an apologetic smile, Alistair gave her a kiss and assured her he would be with her soon. After the wardens left, another servant led Delia and her companions to the dining room for a light meal.

Looking around Redcliffe Castle made Delia very uneasy. All of her good memories of past visits were tainted by Eamon's actions regarding Teagan, and she worried about her friends Chloe and Vernon. She hoped they had managed to retreat to the castle, and when she had the opportunity she asked one of the servants to spread the word among the townsfolk that she would like to find them.

As her companions finished their meals they each took their leave of the room. Before long, Delia was alone in the room with Morrigan and the two dogs. Morrigan was watching Delia strangely, almost like a wolf as it prepared to take down its prey. Delia tried to shrug off her discomfort as Morrigan walked over and sat across the table from her.

"Do you realize you have been smiling for hours now?" Morrigan purred.

"Have I?" Delia answered without looking the mage in the eye.

"Since the last time you and that fool, Alistair, shot glances at each other, in fact. He must be pleasant enough in bed, for surely I cannot imagine anyone enduring his conversation."

Delia looked angrily at the mage, measuring her words and nearly growling. "He's an idiot, but he's _my_ idiot."

Morrigan smiled eerily. "Lucky for him that someone is willing to claim him then. 'Tis a bit sickening to watch you two, but I imagine it at least takes your mind away from our… situation. Have it your way."

The mage stood and slowly left the room, pausing at the doorway to look at Delia once more over her shoulder. When Morrigan was finally out of the room, Delia shuddered. She didn't understand what that was all about, but the feelings she received through her talent told her that Morrigan had something planned… something that she wouldn't approve of. The dogs could feel her distress and moved to her sides, both nuzzling her arms to get her attention. She smiled at the two canines and rubbed their heads.

She was about to search for her quarters so she could read a book in comfort while she waited for Alistair when she heard footsteps approaching. Looking up she realized it was Chloe and Vernon! Her face lit up with her happiness as she greeted her friends. The two merchants gladly joined her near the fireplace to hear about her travels. Chloe was deliriously happy to learn of Delia's marriage, and when she heard that Alistair had been declared the rightful king by the Landsmeet the woman nearly fell over in surprise! The time flew past, and before Delia knew it a servant came into the room, looking for her. Alistair was waiting for her in their quarters, so Delia said goodbye to her friends. Her parting words were asking her two friends to come to Denerim after the Blight was over and visit her at the palace.

Delia made her way through the hallways toward her quarters. As she stepped out of the staircase and turned she nearly ran into Teagan. Quickly she composed herself before she acknowledged him.

"It is good to see you are well, Bann Teagan," she said quietly.

He nodded, looking at the floor. "Thank you, Lady Delia. I am happy to see you are safe as well." He cleared his throat nervously before excusing himself and going down the stairs.

Delia was sad that her former friend was now so uneasy in her presence. With a soft sigh, she continued to her room and opened the door. Alistair was sitting, staring into the fire, looking troubled. Delia walked behind him and put her arms around him as she leaned against his back. Without looking at her, he put his hand on her arm and sighed deeply.

"Something is bothering you, love. Can I help?" She kissed his cheek softly.

Pulling her around and onto his lap, Alistair simply held her tightly against him without speaking for several minutes. Then he moved so he could look into her face before he started to speak. "Riordan has 'heard' the darkspawn and they are headed to Denerim." As the shock registered on her face, he continued. "It gets worse: the archdemon has been sighted at the head of the horde. We have to make a forced march tomorrow to attempt to save the city."

As Delia leaned against him and put her head on his shoulder, Alistair absentmindedly stroked her hair. "Aeden and I have been asked to speak with Riordan after dinner about Grey Warden business. There's… something about the way he asked us that worries me. I don't know what to think."

Delia kissed him gently. "There's plenty of time to worry later. Right now we need to relax for the few minutes we are able."

Alistair buried his face in her hair. The smell of her soap, which usually calmed him quickly, seemed to have little to no effect. There was something Riordan was going to tell him that he knew he wouldn't like. Somehow, Alistair knew that it would alter his life yet again, and not in a pleasant way.


	77. Chapter 77

Chapter 77: Rituals

Dinner was served for all the visitors at Redcliffe Castle at the same time, so the cooks kept the meal to a simple stew and bread. The dining room was bustling with soldiers and townspeople, so Aeden made a recommendation to his friends that they take their meals and remove themselves to Eamon's study. At least there would be room enough for their group there, even if there wouldn't be enough chairs for everyone.

They actually enjoyed themselves as their conversation flowed from battle strategies to good natured teasing. When Leliana finished eating she brought out her lute and played for her friends' entertainment. Aeden sat listening to her nearly in a trance. Although he hadn't said anything to her, he realized he was becoming more and more intrigued by the beautiful bard, and he started to hope that after the Blight he might be able to pursue a more personal relationship with her. Those hopes had to wait, however, because his sense of duty forced him to keep his own desires hidden.

The easy banter was suddenly stopped when Riordan entered the room and asked the two wardens to join him. Delia gave Alistair a gentle smile and squeezed his hand as he stood, looking apologetically at her. Something felt wrong to Delia. There was a secret that Riordan was keeping from them – she could feel it. She wished she could tell what it was, but Riordan had been in the wardens for so long that secrets were well hidden in his mind.

A short time after the wardens left the room, Morrigan stood and walked out of the room. No one really took much notice, as she usually would leave the group after their meals without saying anything, but Delia watched her as she seemed to almost stalk out of the room, like a cat on the prowl. The mage was being very guarded about her thoughts, and Delia couldn't feel what her plans were any better than she could read the senior warden. Her instincts made her feel uneasy, but she tried to relax to the sounds of the soft strumming of Leliana's lute.

An hour passed without the wardens' return, and Delia was unhappy. She didn't think their meeting should have taken that long, but she didn't want to interrupt them. Instead, she called the two dogs and excused herself from the group, saying she would take the dogs for a short walk outside for some fresh air. Soldiers were milling about in the courtyard, their tents and campfires a reminder of how full the castle was after the darkspawn invasion in the town. Delia walked down the stairs and over to a large tree. As the two dogs played, she sat with her back against the tree trunk. She never realized that she had company until it was too late.

"My, my, what have we here? I would have thought you would still be with everyone else as they try their hardest to forget the horrors we shall be facing in the next few days." Morrigan seemed to have come from nowhere, and her catlike movements unnerved Delia.

"I simply came outside for some fresh air and to allow the dogs a chance to exercise. They needed to run before it's time for bed."

"Since you are here, might I have a word with you?" The mage moved slowly toward Delia, seeming to stalk her prey.

"Is everything alright, Morrigan? You seem… troubled."

"_I_ am well. 'Tis _you_ who are in danger. There is a reason why a Grey Warden is required to kill the archdemon, you see. A secret that the wardens will not divulge, however I know it for my mother told it to me. You see, when the archdemon dies its soul, its very essence, travels to the nearest being containing the darkspawn taint. A warden must sacrifice themself so that the archdemon's soul will be destroyed as it attempts to take the warden's body. Because the warden's body has a soul already inside, both the warden's and the archdemon's souls are shattered. Should the archdemon's soul enter a darkspawn as its host, the darkspawn shall not retreat as the archdemon's essence is still intact, leading the horde to further battle."

Delia's jaw dropped. "So, one of the wardens must die then?"

Morrigan nodded. "Yes, however, I have a plan, you see. A way out. The loop in your hole."

Morrigan circled around Delia, her yellow eyes never leaving the queen's face. "There is a ritual that if performed on the eve of battle offers a way out for all the wardens."

Delia looked at her suspiciously. "Just what sort of ritual is this?"

"It is old magic, from a time before the Circle of Magi existed."

"And what is required to perform this ritual of yours?"

Morrigan smiled eerily. "You must convince Alistair to lay with me. Here, tonight. And from this ritual a child will be conceived within me. The child will bear the taint, and when the archdemon is slain its essence will seek the child like a beacon. At this early stage, the child can absorb the essence and not perish. The archdemon is still destroyed, with no grey wardens dying in the process."

Delia's eyes narrowed skeptically. "And why are you speaking to me of this? Shouldn't you be speaking to the wardens about it? And why does it have to be _my husband_ who impregnates you? Why not Riordan or Aeden?"

"Riordan would not be suitable. He has been a warden for too long. The father must have become tainted as recently as possible. I have already spoken to Aeden. Unfortunately, he has not accepted my proposal. That leaves Alistair."

"Why are you speaking to me then? Shouldn't you be convincing him?" she asked guardedly.

"Alistair despises me. You know this. He rarely listens to reason… but he would listen to you. You of all people could influence him."

Delia's hand moved unconsciously to her own abdomen. "And what of my child? Wouldn't my child be this beacon for the archdemon's essence?"

Morrigan shook her head. "No, your child has developed too far already. Your body will have removed most of the taint from it and the archdemon will not sense it. The child for this ritual must be conceived the night before the battle."

Delia stood up and looked the mage straight in her eye. "It is not my place to tell my husband what decisions he should make for his country's sake. It seems to me that the wardens have refused your _offer_ and you are unwilling to take your appeal directly to the king. If you wish for him to take part in this ritual of yours, it is his decision to make, not mine. I am curious, however, what would become of this child when it's born?"

Morrigan looked at her with a smug determination. "The child shall be mine to raise by myself. I shall disappear and you shall not see me again, nor shall you seek to find me."

"And what is this child to become? Will you have your child attempt to remove mine from the throne? You could completely destroy whatever stability we can give to Ferelden! And what of this old god? What assurance can you give that the child will not be evil? Have you thought of that? You are asking far too much… you are asking me to put the future of this entire country in your hands."

"That is not what I wish. It is simply giving freedom to an ancient power. Is there no beauty in that?" the mage spat angrily.

Delia's eyes flashed in anger. "It is an ancient power that could destroy everything we have worked to save. I will not help you, Morrigan. Convince the wardens yourself, or not at all."

As Delia whistled to the dogs and stormed toward the castle doors, Morrigan called after her. "You are a fool. I offer you a way to save your husband and his friend. Die if you feel it is worthwhile. I will not stand by and watch you waste this opportunity."

Delia ignored the ranting of the mage as she slammed the door behind her. She ran through the halls of the castle to her quarters, hoping to find her husband there. As she burst through the doors, she found that he was indeed there, speaking to Aeden. Both of the men looked distressed, and her own facial expression must have divulged her own angst. Alistair rushed to her and pulled her into his arms.

"What's wrong, love?" he asked softly as he ran his fingers through her hair.

"It's Morrigan. She wants me to ask you to take part in an ancient ritual tonight so that the essence of the ancient god can be saved when you slay the archdemon." Delia shuddered and Alistair hugged her closer.

"Aeden and I were just discussing that very ritual. I suppose that since he said no, she decided to appeal to you to convince me?" He spoke soothingly and tried to stay calm.

Delia nodded. "Yes… I have to ask, Alistair, when did you learn about… what happens when the archdemon is killed? Have you been hiding that from me all along?" Her words came out in between sobs as she tried unsuccessfully to keep herself from crying.

"Actually, that is what Riordan wanted to talk to us about tonight. I swear to you, my heart, that I didn't know. I would have told you." He pulled her even tighter into his embrace as her sobs increased.

Aeden put his hand on her shoulder. "If it's any consolation to you, Delia, Riordan will be trying to take the killing blow himself. If he fails, it falls to me. I will not fail, I promise you."

He looked at his friend. Alistair's eyes showed his own despair. eHe Here Alistair was, the newly appointed king, with a wife and child on the way, and he could lose everything he finally had – the family he had always wanted. Aeden's own heart was breaking for both of them. He knew that there were no guarantees as to which warden would die to end the Blight. Maker knew that it was possible that they would all three fail!

"I… I'll leave you two alone. We'll talk tomorrow at breakfast. Try to sleep, both of you." Aeden walked out of the room, motioning to Dusty to follow.

Once the door was closed, Alistair led his wife to a chair nearest the fireplace and pulled her onto his lap. They sat there simply holding each other for a long time as they allowed their fear and grief to work through their systems. When they finally relaxed, Alistair undressed himself and his wife. He took her to bed. Both of them needed to feel each other and how alive they were. They almost were studying each other's bodies, as if they needed to memorize every contour, every scar, even the odd looking moles. Finally they exhausted themselves and fell into sleep as they embraced.

Delia found herself outside of her grandfather's hunting cabin. A mist had risen from the lake, making everything look strangely translucent. As she looked around, a voice called to her from the cabin.

"Delia? Are you there?"

She turned to the cabin and as she thought she was walking toward it she found herself instead inside. Standing in front of her was her beloved grandfather, smiling at her warmly.

"Grandfather! I… I thought I would never see you again!" She pulled him into a hug, feeling happier than she had in ages. "I've missed you so much."

"And I've missed you, my dear child." He pushed her to arm's length and smiled. "I suppose you aren't really a child anymore, especially since you are expecting one of your own."

Delia laughed. "I will always be your 'dear child'. But, this can't be real, can it? You're dead, so how can I be seeing you?"

"We are in the Fade. I've been asked to give you a very important message, one that will determine the very fate of Ferelden."

She looked at him curiously. "What do you mean?"

He sat in his favorite chair with a sigh. Delia sat next to him and looked around. Everything was exactly as she remembered in the room. The walls had paintings of his favorite mabari and one of the battles he fought in the Orlesian War. The floor was covered in a rug crafted from the skin and fur of a huge bear her grandfather had killed in the Frostback Mountains. Everything felt so comforting and, dare she think it, normal.

"Delia, I know that you were told about why the Grey Wardens are needed to kill the archdemon. What you don't know is that you will be forced to make an awful decision. You will decide whether you wish to save Alistair's life or to rebuild Ferelden."

Delia looked at her grandfather in shock. "What do you mean? How can _I_ save either?"

"I was asked to speak to you on behalf of Andraste herself. She is most impressed with you and your friends," he said with a proud smile. "You were able to pass through her gauntlet and save Arl Eamon with her ashes after you determined how to administer them properly. You reached out to the Dalish elves and forged friendships that haven't existed since Andraste's days. You and your friends have forged your way with seemingly insurmountable odds to form alliances for one purpose – to save Ferelden. Now you must do what you must to save the country from this Blight."

He stood and paced in front of the fireplace. "You still have some of the ashes, correct?" As Delia nodded, he continued. "You can use the ashes to either save Alistair, or to save your country. The Blight has devastated the land. To perform your duty means that you cannot save Alistair's life. There is a ritual you must perform after the archdemon is dead. You can save Alistair's soul this way, but his life will be forfeit."

"Save his soul?" Delia looked baffled.

"Yes. You see, when the archdemon's essence tries to enter his body, both souls are shattered. If you administer the ashes to Alistair, you will restore his soul to his body and it will be repaired, but the land will still be blighted and will not recover for hundreds of years. Your duty is to Ferelden and you must perform the ritual as Andraste wishes. She will repair Alistair's soul in return, but he will remain in the Golden Kingdom and you may not reunite with him until your own natural death."

Delia wiped away a tear. No matter what she did, she knew her husband would die in the battle. "Tell me what I need to do."

"You must get to Alistair's body. Stand above him and spread the remainder of the ashes to the four winds. Pray while you do this that the Maker will restore the land and its people. The words must come from your own heart. Then you must take the remainder of the ointment you created for Eamon and mark Alistair's forehead with the Maker's mark as you ask the Maker to restore his soul. Then you must take the Tears of Andraste and open the stopper and drip one drop onto the mark you just made. That will seal the mark and complete the ritual. The Tears themselves must be brought to Haven as soon as possible. They are to have a special chest created for them by the Dalish elves to be made from Ironwood. The mark of the Maker is to be inlaid on the lid using silverite. You will need to be the one to make the pilgrimage to place them alongside the Urn of Sacred Ashes, and you must speak to the Guardian to seal the room where they are kept. Pilgrims will be allowed to visit the Temple, but no one will be allowed to touch the relics ever again."

Delia nodded and wiped her tears from her cheeks. "I give my oath, Grandfather, that I will perform my duty. Ferelden will be cleansed." The words of the Grey Warden's motto rang in her ears: "_In war, victory. In peace, vigilance. In death, sacrifice."_

Bann Alfred walked to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. He kissed her gently on her forehead and wiped the tears from her face. "I know you will do your duty, no matter how it breaks your heart. I am so proud of you, as is your mother. We will watch over you, my dear child, and you shall be a fine regent for your child until he is able to reign."

"He?" She looked at her grandfather's face as he smiled yet again.

"Yes, you are having a son. And he will be the image of his father, so there will be no question that he is a Theirin. Teagan will be a fine advisor for you, as will Aeden. Keep them close. You shall need Trent and Zevran for your security. They will keep you safe. I promise that you _will_ have some joy in your future." He hugged his granddaughter close. "I love you, my dear child. Have faith and the Maker will reward you. May he watch over you and keep you safe."

The world around her seemed to dwindle into a mist as Delia's eyes opened. She was still in her bed with Alistair's arms around her. Now she knew that this would be her last night with him, and her tears started again. Even though she tried to be silent, Alistair woke up.

"He-ey… why are you crying?" He kissed away the tears and pulled her against his chest.

"I… I'm just afraid. Let's just try to sleep. Just… hold me close, would you please?"

"Your desire is my command," he purred as his arms wound around her.


	78. Chapter 78

Chapter 78: The Archdemon

The sun's rays peeked through the window causing Delia to snuggle into her husband's chest. The last thing she wanted to do was wake him. His face was peaceful and he was so handsome. Knowing what she faced in Denerim made her heart ache. She wanted to hold this vision in her mind forever.

Unfortunately there was a knock on the door. Alistair woke and walked to the door, opening it slightly to retrieve the message. He scowled as he closed the door and noticed his wife leaving the bed.

"Oh, and you were so comfortable, I'm sorry you've woken up, love." He crossed the room and took her into his arms, kissing her warmly. Delia settled into his embrace with a sigh. "Are you alright? You seem troubled."

He kissed her forehead as she gave him a gentle squeeze. "I'm sorry, Alistair. I didn't sleep well. I think it's because I'm anxious about the march today as well as the battle."

"I can't say as I blame you. The march will be excruciating, and I'm afraid of the battle myself. You know I love you, more than words could ever express. The thought that I could be separated from you, that I could… well, I can't even think of it. We will defeat the archdemon, and then you and I will have the rest of our lives together."

Delia struggled to hold her emotions in control. All she could do was nod in agreement as her throat closed with her sorrow.

Alistair and Delia dressed and checked their travel packs before they finally walked downstairs for breakfast. They ate quickly and followed their friends and troops out to the courtyard where everyone was assembling for the march. Zachary proved to be very efficient in organizing all the men, and soon the forced march was underway.

There wasn't much talking during the march. Everyone seemed to keep their thoughts to themselves. Delia rode at Alistair's side, protected by their companions and the multitude of warriors. Riordan rode at the front of the assembly so he could sense any darkspawn. One person who was notably absent was Morrigan. Delia was angry at the woman. Here she had become what Delia thought was a close friend, and the mage seemed to have plans of her own to claim the country through her supposed ritual. She tried to manipulate Delia's love for her husband to suit her own purpose, and for that Delia could never forgive her.

It was difficult for Delia to refrain from talking about what troubled her. She couldn't speak to anyone except the wardens about Morrigan, and she couldn't speak to anyone about her visit to the Fade. Each minute that passed, every step their horses took was another minute less that she would have her husband alive. Somehow she needed to find the inner strength to handle her burden alone, but it wasn't easy.

They marched the troops not only all day, but most of the night as well. Finally Zachary decided to camp for a few hours, but there were few comforts. A campfire was built for warmth, but no tents were pitched. Delia and Alistair lay on the ground with Griffon nearby and caught a few hours of sleep, but they were back on the road before the sun even rose.

Delia was so tired after several more hours of riding that she didn't even realize that they had reached the outskirts of Denerim until the city walls were nearly right in front of them. Zachary barked orders to the troops as squires scurried to round up the horses. A base camp was quickly built, giving Delia a brief respite while the men organized and prepared for battle.

Aeden organized the companies who were left to guard the queen at the base camp as he also assigned tasks to each member of their party. Trent was asked to stay with Delia, mostly for moral support. Griffon would remain with her as well since he had imprinted on her and would feel an instinctive need to protect her. Of course, Dairren would not be fighting since he was still too weak from his months of torture so he would also stay with his sister.

Everyone else from their party would be involved in the battle. Alistair and Aeden would be at the front lines with Wynne and Zevran. Oghren would be the second in command, organizing the others as the main battle demanded. Eamon and Teagan would be fighting among the soldiers along with every other nobleman who was able-bodied. The overall strategy would keep the fighting within the city walls, and they hoped that Delia wouldn't need the protective forces set aside for her, but they had their orders to get her to Amaranthine if the battle went poorly.

Finally the minute she dreaded came upon them. Alistair walked up to her with his endearing lopsided smile and pulled her into an embrace. He breathed in the scent of her hair one last time and kissed her passionately.

"I will return to you, Delia. Remember that I love you, more than anything or anyone." His eyes were full of the tears he wanted to shed, but couldn't allow the troops to see from their king.

Delia clung to Alistair. "I love you, Alistair. Know that my heart is with you always."

He chuckled. "I could never forget." He smiled at her teasingly and reached into his breastplate, removing the embroidered heart Delia had created for him in Orzammar. "You know that I always carry your heart next to my own."

Delia smiled as he replaced it. "That certainly is where my heart belongs."

After one final kiss, Alistair ran off to join his men. He stopped and looked back at her, his armor gleaming in the sunlight, and threw a kiss to her before continuing to the battle. That was the vision that Delia wanted to always remember of her husband – looking every bit the handsome, courageous and determined king that he was destined to be.

She sat at a campfire as the battle raged in the city. They could hear the clash of steel and the battle cries of both the people of Ferelden and the darkspawn monstrosities. Dairren sat next to her and put his arm around her shoulders in an attempt to comfort her, but she didn't seem to notice. He looked at Trent with concern; it wasn't like his sister to sit so stoically. Even Griffon seemed worried. The deer hound's eyes never left her face.

Suddenly her attention was drawn to a screeching call coming from the skies. The archdemon swooped down into the city. Delia's fear of the beast made her tremble, but she felt compelled to watch the movements of the dragon. It seemed to be creating chaos as it soared through the streets and over the buildings until yet another screech filled the air. This time the dragon seemed to be in agony, and as Delia watched she could see something that looked as though it could be a man fall from the monsters back. The archdemon's wings no longer beat in a regular rhythm, and Delia could clearly see that its wing had been cut through. It settled on top of the highest building in the area – Fort Drakon.

Alistair and Aeden led their forces to the top of Fort Drakon as Riordan had directed. The senior warden intended to hobble the dragon so that they could use their blades to fight instead of simply arrows, but something went terribly wrong. Riordan had been able to jump onto the massive creature from one of the towers, but as he fought to hold on to its scales he lost his grip. Thrusting his blades into the monster, he managed to destroy one of its wings before he fell to his death in a street near the marketplace.

The remaining wardens were able to force the dragon to land on top of the fort, leaving them plenty of room to fight the archdemon without allowing many darkspawn to be summoned to its assistance. Between the arrows of the Dalish elves and the magic of the members of the Circle of Magi, the wardens could feel as the archdemon weakened. Alistair tried to rush forward and slay the beast, but was instead caught by its massive jaws. Warriors threw themselves at the creature's legs, trying to distract it. When they had successfully annoyed the monster sufficiently, it threw Alistair across the roof. Wynne immediately tended to his injuries, and he returned to the battle momentarily.

As the dragon turned its attention to the warriors hacking at its legs, Aeden thought he saw an opportunity to finish the beast. He lunged forward, only to be hit by the dragon's tail and knocked back into a wall, knocking him unconscious. Alistair saw his friend fly past and knew what he had to do.

"Please, Maker, watch over my Delia and help my child to rule Ferelden with courage and grace. Heal my country and help my people to work together. I do this for Andraste and all those who are dependent on me."

Raising his sword, the sword of his father, above his head, Alistair raised his final battle cry. "For Ferelden!" he shouted, as he ran at full speed toward the archdemon. He leaped onto the monster's head and, as time seemed to slow to a crawl, he plunged his sword deeply into the creature's massive skull. As he twisted the sword, a brilliant light poured from the sky, illuminating warden and monster as they performed what seemed to be a macabre dance. As the two collapsed, the light retreated back to the heavens, leaving the living baffled.

Suddenly the darkspawn started to flee from the battlefield. With the archdemon dead, there was no longer anything to give them direction. They sought their way back to the deep roads, the only place where the monsters had any sanctuary. As they withdrew, the living Fereldans shouted in triumph, their jubilation voiced by the thousands who did not know what price their country had just paid to end the Blight.

Delia saw the light as it illuminated the roof of the fort. She could feel the moment that her husband's heart stopped beating and knew what she had to do. Without a word to her father or brother, she started running against the flow of the retreating darkspawn. Griffon stayed at her side, but none of the monsters made any attempt to fight as she made her way through the horde. Her duty drove her to continue through the hundreds of corpses that lay throughout the city streets.

When she finally reached the doors of the fort, she had to jump over a mound of darkspawn corpses that had been killed as they tried to breach the door only to be cut down by Dalish archers. She raced through the hallways, following a sickening path of death to find her way to the roof. As she ran through the hallways, all she could think about were the three items in her pocket. She needed to do her part to save her country, and she needed to complete her task quickly.

Finally she reached the roof and looked around, momentarily blinded by the bright sun. The dragon corpse lay in a heap in the middle of the rooftop and Delia looked for her husband's corpse nearby. Aeden was directing several warriors as they were placing Alistair on a stretcher. Delia ran over and Zevran reached out and grabbed her arm.

"I think it is better if you do not see him this way, my dear. He would wish for you to remember him as he was." Zevran looked at her sadly, knowing her heart would be destroyed by Alistair's loss.

"But… I must get to him. There is something I must do." She looked at him imploringly, and with a nod he released her.

As she reached the corpse, she looked at Aeden and spoke softly. "Aeden, please, I need some… time alone with him."

Aeden motioned to the warriors to give her space. She knelt at her husband's side and gently kissed him. Then she placed the three small containers on his breastplate, noticing the huge bite mark that had destroyed his armor.

First she picked up the leather pouch that held the remaining ashes of Andraste. She stood up and looked to the sky as she opened the pouch and turned it inside out. "Dear Maker, allow these ashes of your beloved, Andraste, to heal the lands of Ferelden wherever the Blight has left its mark. May they also heal all of its peoples and help us to understand and appreciate each other so that we may live together and work for the advancement of every culture." She shook the ashes out of the pouch as she slowly turned in a circle. The ashes were carried off by a gentle breeze that seemed to arrive just in time to catch each tiny fragment.

Next she knelt at her husband's side and opened the tiny jar of ointment. She dipped her finger into the jar and scraped as much of the remaining balm from the sides and bottom as possible. Drawing the Maker's mark on Alistair's forehead, she gently spoke, "Dear Maker, as your beloved Andraste was killed and you mourned her, help me to mourn my beloved husband. Please repair his shattered soul and allow him to join you in your Golden City so that I may be reunited with him whenever you have in your plans for my death as you have Andraste at your side in her death."

The final part of the ritual was next. Gently she removed the wax seal from the bottle of Andraste's tears. She pulled out the stopper, and spoke once again. "Dearest Maker, I ask you to hear my prayers and help all of us to make Ferelden the country you wish us to be. With this tear, I add Andraste's own plea to my humble voice. She shed these tears for Ferelden, and I ask you to hear her prayers along with my own. Maker, watch over us all."

She allowed a single drop to fall from the bottle onto Alistair's forehead, right in the middle of the Maker's mark. Quickly she replaced the stopper, just in time for a strong wind to whip around her. Delia stood and reached her arms upward, just as a bolt of lightning shot through her from the cloud-free sky. She collapsed on top of her husband's corpse, darkness enfolding her like a welcome blanket.


	79. Chapter 79

Chapter 79: Blessings of the Maker

Her eyes slowly opened, revealing a room that was furnished simply. The cot she was lying on was comfortable even though the sheets and blankets were quite worn. It made them feel soft and comforting and they were nice and warm. The walls were unpainted stone, the only color in the furnishings found in a small rug next to the cot which, although it was very faded, showed that spring flowers had been woven into its original design. A small set of drawers stood against the inside wall and a simple wood chair and a small wooden table sat next to a small window. Delia didn't remember this room and had no idea where she was.

Delia was dressed in a simple linen nightgown. It was not a piece of clothing she owned, nor did she recognize it. She lay there looking around as she tried to remember how she might have gotten to this place or even how she was dressed in this fashion. Memories started to flood into her mind, reminding her that she had lost her one and only love as he destroyed the archdemon to save Ferelden. She remembered performing the ritual her grandfather told her Andraste had asked for, and she prayed that the Maker heard her pleas.

The door opened, and a young woman walked in. She carried a jug of water and a bowl and had a towel draped over her shoulder. The clothes she wore showed that she was an initiate of the Chantry. The woman set the bowl and jug on the dresser and walked over to the table, picking it up and moving it and the chair next to the cot. As she set them down she looked at Delia's face. Noticing her eyes were open, she sat on the chair and gently picked up Delia's hand with a warm smile.

"My lady, you've woken up. Maker be praised!"

Delia smiled back at her. The initiate seemed genuinely pleased to see her awake, and the only feelings Delia could feel from her were comfort and warmth. The woman was truly a believer in the Maker and took her Chantry studies and duties seriously.

"My… my name is Delia. Would you please tell me where I am?"

Her smile grew even broader. "Yes, my lady, I know who you are. You are the rightful Queen of Ferelden and you are in the Denerim Chantry. Your friends brought you here after the battle because we were one of the only buildings where the darkspawn did little damage. My name is Catriona, but my friends usually call me Cat because I can be very quiet when I move about the hallways. I was going to wash you, but since you are awake, allow me to get something for you to eat. I know your friend, Wynne, is anxious to see you as well. Would you like me to send her in?"

Delia nodded. "Yes, thank you, Cat. I would like to see Wynne, and I do find that I am rather hungry." She watched as the initiate stood and started to walk quietly to the door. As her hand reached the handle, Delia spoke once more. "Oh, and Cat, thank you. I mean it. I appreciate everything you have done for me."

Cat looked at her and nodded. "You are most welcome. I do the Maker's work, and it is my honor to be able to attend to you, my queen."

Cat left the room and Delia sat silently. "_Well, at least Wynne is alive. That's a start,"_ she thought to herself. She almost dreaded speaking to the mage. Which of her friends had survived? Her heart ached badly enough for her husband, but to lose any of her other friends, her adopted family, would completely destroy her.

A soft knock on the door preceded Wynne's entrance. The elder mage smiled broadly as she walked over to Delia and hugged her warmly. She sat on the chair and took Delia's hand into her own.

"How are you feeling, my dear girl? You have been through quite a trauma."

Delia looked down. "I… I suppose that's one way to put it. What happened to me? How did I get here?"

"You were struck by lightning. Zevran carried you here. You are a very lucky woman to have survived."

Fear suddenly took over as Delia's hands clasped her abdomen. "What about the baby? Is he…?"

Wynne smiled and with a soft chuckle she nodded. "The baby is fine. You both are. However, there are many people who are worried sick about both of you and would like to see you. Do you feel well enough for a walk in the garden? The fresh air would be good for you."

Wynne walked to the dresser and opened a drawer, removing a fresh tunic and breeches. Delia recognized them as garments she had packed into her own pack.

"Wynne, where is the rest of my pack?" Her eyes darted around the room.

Wynne reached down at the side of the dresser and picked the pack up, handing it to Delia along with the clothes. "Why don't you get dressed? I'm sure that Cat will be back shortly with some food. We can eat and then go to the garden."

Delia grinned and nodded. "That sounds good. I… I can't wait to see the… others."

Wynne nodded and walked to the door. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

Once Wynne was gone, Delia dressed slowly. Her body ached, and her chest and foot showed the evidence of her brush with lightning. It was difficult to get her arms through the garment, but once she had the clothes on she found her boots at the foot of the cot and put them on as well. Then she sat on the cot with her pack and searched. Inside she found the small box keeping Alistair's rose safe. Opening the box, she gently removed the rose and touched the soft petals. "_It reminded me of you, actually…"_ His voice, in her memory, made her cry again, as the heartache tried to take her over completely. She brushed away her tears and kissed the rose before returning it to the box. Her rings were still on, the ironwood rings on her hand and the dwarven stone ring intact on its necklace. _"I only have these… things… left to remind me of you…"_

Cat arrived with some soup and bread, with Wynne following behind her carrying another chair. They sat at the small table to eat, neither of them speaking. When they finished, Wynne offered her arm to her friend to help support her. The two walked out of the room and down the hallway a short distance until they reached the door to the garden. A cloak rack stood next to the door, and Wynne helped Delia wrap a warm woolen cloak around her shoulders before they went outside.

It was a beautiful day, and the sun was warming the air nicely, especially within the enclosed garden. There were some flowers blooming near a statue of Andraste, and Wynne assisted Delia to a bench nearby.

"Rest here, child, while I find everyone else. I'll be right back." Wynne gave her a hug and walked back to the Chantry leaving Delia alone with the statue.

She just sat there, looking at the Maker's bride. _"Dear Andraste, I hope the Maker heard our prayers. I don't know how I'll manage without Alistair here, but if Ferelden has hope at least his sacrifice won't have been in vain."_

Delia reached out and picked a flower. It was a tulip, as red as the rose Alistair had given to her. Tulips had always seemed to be so delicate in comparison to a rose. The rose defended itself with the thorns that would grow on its stems while the tulip was easy prey for the rabbits and deer that seemed to find the flower an irresistible delicacy. Right now Delia felt as vulnerable as the tulip. There was no longer anyone to protect her, not the way Alistair had.

As she held the flower in her hand and contemplated what had become of her life, the door opened and closed behind her. She didn't turn her head, deciding her friends would make themselves known. She heard what sounded like a single set of footsteps walking toward her, the heaviness of the steps making her think it was Trent who was coming to her.

"Delia…"

The voice was unexpected. Her entire body stiffened in response. It couldn't be true… it wasn't possible.

"Delia, I've been so worried. Thank the Maker you are alright."

She turned around slowly. She couldn't believe who she saw standing there. It was Alistair! He was wearing soft leather breeches and his black doublet with a cloak pulled around for warmth. He smiled at her and strode quickly to her, pulling her up and into his arms.

Delia pushed back gently so she could see his face. Her hand trembled as it moved to his cheek, softly trailing along his cheekbone and down to his jaw. His smile seemed to be as bright as the sun itself as he chuckled.

"But… you were dead!" she whispered. "You killed the archdemon and you sacrificed yourself! How is this possible?"

"Fooled you, did I?" he laughed huskily as he kissed her.

As the two held each other Delia started to sob uncontrollably. Alistair looked at her with concern.

"Love, what's wrong? What did I do?" He kissed her forehead and sat on the bench with her.

"It's just… the Maker gave me a choice. I could save Ferelden or… you. And…" A sob choked her voice as Alistair shushed her.

"I know. She told me." He held her close and ran his hands through her hair.

"She? She who? I didn't tell anyone."

Alistair pushed her to arm's length so he could look directly into her eyes. "You know I killed the archdemon for Ferelden, right? Well, just before I ran to thrust my blade into its skull, I prayed that the Maker would watch over you and our child, but I also asked for Him to heal our country and its peoples. I think I impressed him." He looked at her with his lopsided smile. "Anyway, I pushed my sword into the skull as far as possible, and then this blinding light seemed to take over. I was… floating, for lack of a better word, but I was all over Ferelden. I saw the entire country. And I saw you, running through the retreating horde. I wanted to stop you, for your safety, but I couldn't do anything. Then you performed your ritual, and when you put the Maker's mark on my forehead my spirit was suddenly pulled together and I was standing in the Fade. Your mother was there. She told me what Andraste had asked you to do, and when you prayed to the Maker, he was moved by you and your sincerity. You asked Him to heed Andraste's prayers as well as your own, so he granted her a boon. So here I am, Andraste's special gift to you. That's when She sent the lightning bolt. The power had to pass through you in order to give me my life back."

"My mother told you that? In the Fade?" She searched his eyes for something hidden, but even her talent was telling her that he was being completely honest.

"Yes, and may I say that although she is quite a beautiful woman in her own right, you are far more beautiful. Then again, I may be prejudiced, just a little. You did, however, inherit your gorgeous eyes from her."

They both laughed and Delia threw her arms around his neck and kissed him again. He recoiled in pain.

"Did I hurt you?" she asked in surprise.

"Just a little. I was left with an interesting wound, the scars from which will give me fodder for many a tale in the years to come. The archdemon grabbed me in its teeth, and the bite is still healing. Wynne has been working on it, and hopefully it will be better soon."

Delia pulled his shirt up to see the wounds. A series of punctures crossed his chest and abdomen. The line should have also had a wound centered on his heart, but there was no hole there.

"Did you knock out one of its teeth? It seems like a tooth was missing there," she touched the center of his chest in the line of marks, "No hole, just a bruise."

"Funny thing about that… and another reason why the Maker saved me actually." He pulled something from his pocket. It was the embroidered heart Delia made for him in Orzammar. "You see, I always put this over my own heart. It seems to have protected my own heart from the dragon's tooth. If it hadn't been there, I would have been dead before I could have killed the monster. I'm sorry it's so damaged, love."

Delia took the torn object from him and looked at it in amazement. "I'm not sorry at all. If this is what saved you, it also saved our country. I can't believe that something so… insignificant did something so amazing! I'll make you another one. It will be far more beautiful, I promise."

He took the heart back with a teasing look of astonishment. "You can make another, but you can never replace this one. This one came simply from your love, and that's what protected me. I want you to repair this one and I want to keep it with me always, just as I have kept it since you gave it to me. It has kept me safe and allowed me to keep my promise to come back to you. There is no replacement for your love. It was the strength of your love that convinced the Maker to give me back to you as a reward for your faith."

Alistair pulled her close and kissed her again, this time more deeply than she remembered him ever doing before. It was a kiss meant to show how significant she was to him, how he treasured her and her love more than any riches or power. He would not take this opportunity to have his wife and child for granted. He promised the Maker that a day wouldn't go by without his showing his appreciation for the blessings bestowed on him.

The two sat in the garden, holding each other and kissing, until the sun started to set. Then the two walked together, hand in hand, back inside. Neither of them could wait to be reunited with their friends, the people they had chosen to be their family. They couldn't believe the many blessings the Maker had granted to them, especially when Delia was informed that no one from their party had been killed in the battle except for Riordan. Plans for his pyre could wait until after they had their reunion. The morning would mean a return to duty and responsibilities, but this night they would enjoy simply being alive and with the people they loved the most.


	80. Chapter 80

Chapter 80: Preparations

Delia woke to find herself in the small room of the Chantry where she had woken the previous day. Today was different, however, in that the mattress from her cot was laid on the floor, adjacent to a cot mattress where her handsome husband was still sound asleep. She lay there, simply looking at the way the sun's rays made his hair shine. It was amazing that the Maker would give them this opportunity to rebuild Ferelden while they enjoyed being a family.

Alistair's eyes opened and he grinned. "Good morning, love. How long have you been awake?"

She allowed him to pull her against his chest. "Only a few minutes. I was just thinking about how lucky we are."

He nuzzled her hair. "The luckiest people in the world, I imagine. Ugh…"

"What's wrong?" She pushed up and looked down at his face.

"We need to get up. There's so much to do today. I'd rather stay here, alone with you." He pulled her back to him and kissed her gently.

"Me too, love, but today you have to be king. Tonight you can be _just_ Alistair again." She smiled teasingly and stood, offering a hand to help him up.

"Well, I suppose that will have to do." His eyebrow rose mischievously. "I'll just have to enjoy the fact that while I have to be the king, _you_ have to be the queen. At least we can suffer together."

She slapped his arm playfully, earning a mock cry of pain from him. They laughed as they dressed. Once they were ready, the two walked hand in hand to the dining room for breakfast. Delia had hoped to have an opportunity to speak with Aeden over their meal about organizing the pyres, both for darkspawn corpses as well as their own dead, as well as helping the dwarves and Dalish to arrange proper burials for their people, but he was preoccupied with a certain bard. There would be enough time to have their discussion, she supposed, and the issue was moot anyway when Eamon and Teagan insisted on sitting with the two royals.

"There are many details that must be handled as soon as possible," Eamon stated as he sat. "Your coronation must happen as soon as it can be arranged, perhaps as early as tomorrow." As Alistair opened his mouth to protest, Eamon held out his hand. "No, Alistair, it cannot wait. The people need a king to lead them now more than ever. You also need to organize your council of advisors, especially your Chancellor." His eyes shone brightly, almost anticipating what Alistair's response would be.

"Ye-es, Eamon, I have been giving that quite a bit of thought, actually. My Chancellor needs to be a man who is well established in the Landsmeet, yet has an understanding of what my companions and I have been through to unite the country. He needs to have a mind of his own, yet be able to bend when it is in Ferelden's best interest. The people need to have a reason to believe in him as well, and be a person deserving of their respect. Someone who I feel has acted courageously and honorably, even when he himself was injured in the process." Alistair looked at the arl, and his gaze grew cold. "I know that you, Eamon, believe the position should rightfully be yours; however you have proven throughout my life to not act in the best interest of the country or for the people in it. You ignored King Maric's own wishes in regard to raising me, putting your wife's desires above the country's interest. You tried to manipulate me in the Landsmeet, intending for me to be your puppet king while you made all the decisions. But the one thing that is the worst, in my opinion, was kidnapping Delia in a misguided attempt to give her, almost as a present, to your brother. You broke several laws in the process with no regard to the consequences. Right now you are very lucky that I don't charge you with your crimes, but if you give me any reason to change my mind, I will easily throw you in the dungeon."

He turned his gaze to Teagan and his demeanor softened. "Teagan, you have, unfortunately, suffered throughout all of this as well. Eamon was blind to Isolde's schemes, and you have been denied the opportunity to live your life as you should have. I realize that her ruses denied you many chances for marriage, and that the one you felt would be best for you in particular. However, when Eamon attempted to force a marriage to Delia, you were honorable and rescued her, even at the expense of your own happiness. You also did everything you could to protect the Village of Redcliffe when the demon sent the creatures to attack and you fought courageously in the Battle for Denerim. You are a very skilled politician, a very learned man, and I trust you. I would like to offer you the position of Chancellor, and I truly hope that you will accept."

Teagan was surprised. He never thought that Alistair would want him to remain in Denerim once the Blight was defeated. After their rivalry over Delia's affections, he thought the warden would never trust his presence near his wife. Yet, once again, Alistair's thoughtfulness and insight surprised him, and the fact that he said that he trusted Teagan amazed the Bann. Alistair truly was acting as a king, putting aside his own enmity for the good of his country. Teagan was impressed.

With a friendly grin, Teagan cleared his throat. "I would be most honored, my King."

Alistair smiled back at him and shook his hand. "Good! Now, as for you, Eamon, I expect that you will be returning to Redcliffe. You have a great deal to rebuild there, and I expect that you can make arrangements to care for Rainesfere as well to assist your brother."

Eamon choked in astonishment. "Yes, Alistair. I… I will leave within the next few days."

"Excellent. That way you'll have some time to spend with Connor before he leaves for his training at the Circle of Magi. Oh, and I expect to have a report within a month about your plans for dealing with Isolde's crimes. Unless, of course, you feel it would be best for her future to be entrusted to someone else?"

"N… no, Alistair. I will handle her myself."

"Oh, and Eamon?"

"Yes?"

"As soon as I have my official coronation, you will address me more formally. Oh, and my wife and Chancellor as well. It will be very important for other members of the Landsmeet to see you giving us proper respect. We wouldn't want them believing that I am being manipulated, would we?"

"No… your Majesty."

Alistair smiled, but it wasn't a friendly, warm smile. It was a political smile, one meant to convey that he had made his point. "Good, that's resolved then. Now, it's time that my wife and I spoke to the Reverend Mother about arranging the coronation." He stood and held his hand out to Delia. "Come, my dear. We have many things to do."

The next several hours were spent arranging the following day's coronation with the Reverend Mother of the Denerim Chantry. Mother Perpetua agreed that the people needed their king crowned quickly to give them hope as they dealt with so much death and destruction. The ceremony would take place late in the afternoon, allowing time for a small feast to be prepared with whatever food could be found. Alistair left the Reverend Mother with twenty five sovereigns to help with the costs of the ceremony before the two returned to the dining room for a quick lunch.

Aeden joined them as they ate their soup. His smile revealed his own happiness, leaving plenty of room for Alistair to tease his friend.

"Soooo, can I assume you've had a… nice morning?" Alistair teased with a raised eyebrow. "Have you had a chance to relax? Have a chat? A walk in the garden perhaps? Hmmmmm?"

Aeden chuckled softly and blushed. "I assume you noticed my breakfast companion?"

"Well, it was sort of obvious. You two seemed to be enjoying your conversation."

Aeden nodded. "It's nice to not have to rush off to fight for once. We did take a walk in the garden. Leliana was explaining the meanings of various symbols and why they were in particular places. She's very knowledgeable about such things." His eyes seemed to look through his companions as his thoughts returned to their stroll. "You know, her voice is very relaxing, almost hypnotic. I could listen to her speak for hours…"

Alistair's laughter bellowed through the room. "Oh, my friend, you certainly are there."

Aeden looked at him in confusion. "And just where am I?"

He slapped his hand against Aeden's upper arm. "You, my good friend, are in love. There's no doubt… take it from someone who's been in your shoes," he smiled warmly at his wife, "and still feels the exact same way every day."

Changing the subject to the business of the day, Alistair asked Aeden to take several of their companions to check on the progress of the cleanup of the corpses around the city. The areas around the Chantry and the Palace needed to be the priority since the coronation would attract crowds of people and they didn't want any taint remaining. At the mention of the taint, Aeden's attention perked up.

"You know, thinking of the taint, have you been able to… sense me? I mean, since the archdemon fell, I can't sense you anymore, but I can feel the tainted bodies. It's really… strange."

Alistair looked at him with his eyes widening. "Actually, I hadn't thought about it, but you're right. I can't sense you, and I haven't felt any taint. I'll have to ask Wynne to examine me later today."

Aeden suddenly became very serious. "Thinking about the taint… Leliana and I took a walk to the Palace this morning as well. We have word from the guard concerning Anora." He looked around to be certain no one was listening. "Darkspawn infiltrated the tower where she was imprisoned. The guards tried to protect Anora and her servant, but when they killed the monsters it was too close to her door. The blood seeped under the door and before the men could stop them, Anora's servant had cleaned it, tainting herself in the process. Anora wouldn't believe the men when they warned her about the taint and suggesting that Erlina be removed, and now Anora has caught the taint as well. The blotches are spreading across her skin rather quickly, I'm afraid."

Delia was shocked. No matter how badly Anora had behaved, no one deserved to suffer from the taint's progression.

Alistair looked at his friend with concern. "Well, it takes care of the problem of what to do with her. I mean, we will need to be merciful. It simply wouldn't be proper to allow her to become a full ghoul. Will you accompany us there this afternoon? After we deal with her, you can check with our Dalish and dwarf friends to see how their funeral arrangements are going."

Aeden nodded slowly. "Alistair, you have to promise that you won't get very close to Anora. If she realizes that you could be tainted and killed, I wouldn't put it past her to try and infect you."

"Agreed. I defer to you in this matter. After all, you _are_ the Senior Warden." His eyes danced teasingly, earning a well-deserved punch in the arm from Aeden.

Delia chuckled at their brotherly banter. "Well, if you two are finished, why don't we walk to the palace?"

The three left the room, followed closely by the two dogs. Aeden left them briefly to ask Wynne, Zevran and Oghren to join them. Of course, as they walked they were joined by a company of soldiers from the King's Guard. Alistair could no longer be allowed to walk through the city without a full contingent of guards.

The streets were bustling with soldiers and citizens alike, working together to care for the bodies of those who died in service to their country. Only specialized soldiers were permitted to handle the darkspawn. They wore protective gear that was especially enchanted to protect them from the blood. Pyres were already burning as the creatures were cremated downwind of the city. As Alistair and Delia walked past their people, they tried to speak to as many as possible to give each of them words of encouragement and appreciation. Their simple words meant a great deal to the people, and each performed their tasks with a bit more pride after their encounters with the king and queen.

When they reached the palace grounds, Aeden walked up to the guard to discern who was currently in charge. A guardsman named Gelis was the captain in command, and he was honored to escort the king's party to the prison tower.

It was obvious from the sounds they heard from all the way down the hall that Anora and her servant were already well on their way to becoming ghouls. The guardsmen were nervously attending to their duties, but were obviously not happy doing so. Alistair and Delia stayed far away from the door to Anora's quarters, but could see her through the bars of the door.

"Anora, I am very sorry this has happened to you. No one deserves such a horrible fate." Alistair was sincere as he spoke, but it meant little to the former queen.

"You… I am certain you found some way to send the monsters in here yourself," she spat at him. "You stole my throne! Wasn't that enough for you? But no… now you force me to suffer… to lose everything, even my beauty. Curse you, Alistair. You are no son of Maric's."

Gelis stiffened his back. "My lady, I would watch your words. He saved Ferelden from the archdemon with his own sword. I was on the roof of Fort Drakon and watched it myself. He died, and the Maker brought him back. The Landsmeet decided against you and it's too bad you cannot accept your fate. My men tried to tell you to stay away from the darkspawn blood, but you listen to no one."

Aeden put his hand on the captain's shoulder. "It's too late for her anyway. Anora, you have a choice to make. You can both remain in captivity and suffer until you completely turn into ghouls, or I can offer you each a merciful kill now. If you die by my sword you can be given a proper pyre, with all the respect the former queen deserves. If you turn into a ghoul, you will be burned along with the other darkspawn and there will be no mention of you. You will have simply disappeared, just like so many others."

Anora understood the gravity of his words. She would die either way, but she deserved to be remembered. "Warden, do I have your word that I will be given the respect of a proper pyre?"

Aeden nodded gravely. "Of course, my lady."

"Then I wish to be put to death now, while I still retain my humanity. I do not wish, however to have an audience as I die. Alistair, you and your wife must leave here now. I will not give you the satisfaction of watching my death." She stood stoically, her hands clasped in front of her.

Alistair nodded. "I will give you your privacy, Anora, but there is one thing I wish you to know before we leave. I take no satisfaction in your death. May the Maker have mercy on you both."

He took Delia's arm and led her away from the tower, leaving word with the guard at the entrance for Aeden to meet them in the Great Hall. Alistair took time to arrange for her pyre to be held that evening, trying to restrain his own feelings of disgust for the woman in check. She had, after all, been the Queen of Ferelden, and deserved her death to be recognized properly. He wanted nothing to interfere with the coronation, yet felt the people needed to see that the Blight had taken the life of their former queen before Alistair took the throne officially.

Aeden joined them after his deed was completed and the bodies cleaned and prepared in their funeral sheeting. No one would see the sword wounds, but the blotches from the taint would not be hidden from the crowds. Messengers were sent to post notices around the city of her pyre that evening. Once the funeral plans were completed, the final details for the coronation were dealt with.

The palace historian, a woman named Anna, brought Alistair's group to the treasure room. The crowns of the kings and queens of Ferelden were stored there, as well as the Theirin family sword and shield. Cailen and Anora's crowns were in the front, but Alistair didn't want to wear them. Their marriage had never been sound, and he felt that he wanted a better symbol of unity. Anna looked around a bit before she brought two other crowns to show him.

"I know these seem to be rather simple compared to some of the others, but the history behind them may be more to your liking. This one," she held out a man's crown made of silverite, "was made for Teryn Voric, husband of Queen Moira. Unfortunately, he never wore it because he was killed while Maric was still a baby and King Brandel was still on the throne. This one," she held out a matching woman's crown, "was Queen Moira's. She wore it for her coronation in Redcliffe while her husband's sat nearby on a silk pillow. It is said that they loved each other very much, but Moira was strong and wouldn't allow herself to fall into despair when the Orlesians killed him. She raised Maric on her own after he died. Such a strong woman… she seemed to give everything to free our country."

Alistair smiled broadly. "Yes, these are the crowns I would like to use. They are perfect symbols of our country's courage and my lineage."

Anna looked at him and nodded. "Your majesty, you know that you must have new crowns made for you anyway? It will be expected by the nobility. The people will understand that there has been no time to create them for your coronation, but certainly by next year's Landsmeet you must have them."

"That's fine, just remind me, please, and we'll see to it after we've taken care of our current situation. Please see to it that these are polished and ready for tomorrow."

"Yes, your majesty." Anna took the crowns and handed them to a servant. "Do you each have something proper you can wear?" She scrutinized the two before continuing. "Your armor is… perfect for battle, but not quite for ceremony. And my lady…" she looked at her dragon scale armor with distaste, "it just would be… unseemly for the queen to be crowned wearing armor, although yours is unique. Rather pretty, for armor. Do you have a dress perhaps? It would be more… appropriate."

Delia chuckled. "Yes, I understand completely, Anna. I have two dresses that would do, although I will check with my friend for her opinion as to which would be better." She turned to her husband. "Alistair, we have Cailan's ceremonial armor. Perhaps you would feel comfortable wearing that?"

He thought a moment and then nodded his head. "Yes, I would like to have him remembered, I think. Cailan's armor, Maric's sword and Voric's crown… I'll be a walking history lesson!"

Even Anna chortled at his quip as they left the treasury and walked to the king's study. Anna left them to arrange for rooms to be readied for the members of Alistair and Delia's traveling group in the wing that had been untouched by the fighting. Servants were scurrying throughout the palace, cleaning and rearranging to be certain all was organized properly.

Aeden excused himself to see to the dwarves and Danish needs, bringing Zevran and Oghren with him. Dusty happily joined Griffon in front of the fire in the study, and Wynne decided to take a nap, leaving Delia and Alistair alone with the dogs. The day had already been tiring, so they asked a servant for tea and decided to relax for a bit. Their companions would be joining them soon, and the evening promised to be significant.


	81. Chapter 81

Chapter 81: The Old Regime Ends

The afternoon before Anora's pyre was busy. There were so many details involved with changing the ruler of the kingdom that Alistair was kept very busy. One of the most important issues to work through was the security in the palace. Alistair asked Trent to evaluate the commanders who lived through the darkspawn attack and determine who would be able to be trusted.

Delia sat in the room as he interviewed the men, saying nothing, yet taking notes on what her talent told her of each individual. There were some men who were loyal to Anora or Loghain, and it was decided to give them the option of leaving the army or being redeployed to another region of the country. Most of the soldiers, however, were relieved to be out from under Loghain's command and were eager to pledge their loyalty to the new king and queen. They had seen the depravities committed under Loghain's command and were happy to serve a king who seemed to bring integrity back to the kingdom, something they hadn't seen since King Maric's reign.

As the interviews were ending, a messenger entered the room looking for the king. Delia stepped forward and asked if it was a matter that only the king could resolve. There was a man at the palace doors, claiming to be of noble blood and requesting an audience with the king, however the guards were reluctant to give him entry because he was unkempt and dressed in clothing of the Chasind peoples. Delia's heart skipped a beat. She wondered if the person would have any knowledge of Fergus, so she followed the messenger back to the doors.

Standing just inside the doorway was a man who seemed to have been in the wilds for a long time. His clothes were filthy and torn, his hair and beard long and uncombed, but there was something about his eyes that caught Delia's attention.

"Fergus? Is that you?" she asked the man as she closed the distance between them quickly.

"Lady Delia? Maker be praised..." He smiled in a way that showed his relief and happiness, his eyes sparkling. "I… I must admit it is a shock to see you. They told me that everyone in the castle was murdered by Howe. It is a wonderful surprise to see a familiar face!" He took a step back in embarrassment. "I would greet you properly, but I would hate to get any of this filth on you."

"It's quite alright, Fergus. You have no idea how wonderful it is that you are safe. We've worried about you for months!"

"We? Did someone else survive then?"

"Yes, Aeden is alive. He's here, in Denerim, but is taking care of the king's business at the moment. He'll return soon."

"Aeden…" Fergus whispered, his eyes filling with tears of relief. "At least I'm not alone. Is he…"

Delia put her hand on his shoulder, her eyes sparkling with her own repressed tears. "He is fine. Actually, you will be proud to learn that he is the Commander of the Grey Wardens of Ferelden."

"What?" Fergus looked at her in surprise.

"It's a long story, but the very short version is that Duncan helped us to escape with the promise that Aeden would be a warden. After everything that has happened, he is now the senior warden. But those stories can wait. Right now, you need a bath, clean clothes and a barber!" she teased, as she held her nose.

With a warm laugh, Fergus agreed. Delia asked one of the head servants, a man named Dougal, to take care of his needs. As he was about to lead Fergus to his room, Delia told him she would send for him as soon as Aeden returned.

"Thank you, my lady. I am glad our two families still have our close friendship within our hearts. We will grieve together."

She blew a kiss to him as he left for his room and then she started off to her husband's study. She found Alistair there, surrounded by Teagan and members of the palace staff.

"It looks as though you've been busy," she quipped with a grin.

"Yes, very. I think I will have to ask you and Trent to start evaluating everyone on staff. We seem to have a small rebellion with the personnel. I can't say as I blame them, hearing what Loghain and Anora treated them like. Many of the servants left during the fighting, several were caught stealing, and we'll need to hire many in the coming days." He rested his chin in his hand. "And I thought dealing with the nobles would be bad…"

Delia chuckled and gave him a hug. "Do we have enough people to make it through tomorrow's coronation?"

Seamus, the head of staff, nodded his head. "Aye, your majesty, but just barely enough. They'll be exhausted by the end of the day as I'll have to put everyone to work."

"Ask for volunteers for the day after tomorrow. We'll need a skeleton staff for the day, just enough people to cook meals. The guard can keep order, and the staff can have the day off to rest and be with their families. Anyone who does work shall get double pay, but don't tell them that until after they volunteer."

As Seamus and the other staff members left the room, Alistair smiled at his wife. "See? I knew there was a reason why I married you. You are a natural."

Delia kissed his cheek and then moved around the desk to the chair next to Teagan. "I have many talents you have yet to see," she teased. "Oh, the reason why I am here is that we have a special guest!"

"Really? So soon? I'm surprised anyone would even be ready for social events. Oooh, whatever shall I wear?" His eyes danced mischievously.

"Well, if you saw him when he arrived you would be wondering more about what shall he wear!" Seeing the confused faces of the two men, she explained. "It's Fergus Cousland! He's just arrived from the wilds. I didn't spend time to learn what happened to him, but he was dressed as a Chasind and in desperate need of a bath and a haircut."

Teagan's eyes brightened. "Fergus is alive? That's wonderful! Is he alright?"

"As far as I can tell. We need to reunite him with Aeden as soon as possible. He didn't even know Aeden was alive."

Alistair nodded. "Yes, I agree. It will be quite a shock to Aeden, but a good one. He should be back soon." His mood darkened as he realized there were more responsibilities on the agenda. "Anora's pyre is scheduled for early this evening. Teagan suggested, quite brilliantly I might add, that the pyre be handled as they do in Redcliffe and send her to her final rest on a boat. That way, her followers cannot retain any ashes as a relic of some sort. Besides, I think even Anora would appreciate such a dramatic end."

The three spent some time conversing amiably before Alistair took his leave to meet with Wynne. Teagan and Delia were left alone for the first time since the kidnapping. The air seemed tense. Both wanted to say something, but were afraid of it being the wrong thing.

Teagan finally cleared his throat. "You know, you made the right decision."

She looked at him curiously. "Which decision is that?"

"Marrying Alistair. You two are… good for each other. But more than that, it's obvious how much you love each other. It's inspiring, actually." He smiled at her warmly. "You know, I hope that I will be almost as lucky as you both someday."

Delia put her hand on his. "You are a good man, Teagan, and a wonderful catch for any woman. I'll keep my eye out for likely prospects," she added with a smile of her own. "I can't allow you to fall for just anyone."

He laughed. "Just promise me you won't try to control my romantic opportunities like my sister in law."

"Maker forbid!" Delia snorted. "I want to find you a proper match, not prevent one!"

Teagan looked at her softly, picked up her hand and kissed her knuckle. "Thank you, Delia, for remaining my friend. You don't know how much this means to me."

She placed her hand on his cheek, looking into his eyes. "You have always been a good and trusted friend, Teagan. I'm glad that doesn't have to change."

Delia excused herself to see if Aeden had returned. As she walked through the halls, she came across Zevran flirting with a servant. As the woman noticed Delia's approach, she hurried away. Zevran shrugged his shoulders as his friend looked at his accusatorially.

"What can I do for you, my dear Delia?" he purred.

"Since you are here, can I assume that Aeden is back?"

"Yes, he went straight to his room. You should find him there."

"Thanks, Zev. I'll see you at dinner."

She hurried down the hall to Aeden's room and knocked softly on the door. When she heard him call out to enter, she opened the door and walked inside. He was putting the finishing touches on his armor, the polish making it gleam in the waning sunlight.

"Aeden, I'm so glad you're back. I have wonderful news for you." Her face beamed with excitement.

"Whatever could make you this happy? I thought you already had everything you could have asked the Maker for," he teased.

"It's not what will make _me_ happy, it's what will make _you_ happy. Although, in the process it does make me happy. I think it will actually make everyone happy…"

Aeden laughed and put his hand on her arm. "Slow down, slow down. What is it that will make me happy? I swear, you are catching Alistair's speech patterns!"

Delia looked into his eyes and put her hands on his shoulders. "It's Fergus. He's alive… and here!"

"Fergus? He's… alive. That's fantastic!" Aeden's face went from ecstatic to sorrowful in the course of a second. "Does he know? I mean, about Oriana and Oren?"

"He was told everyone was killed. He thought we were dead as well. I can't tell you how happy he was when he learned you are alive." Her eyes danced with happiness. "Let me take you to him now, so you can have some time alone before dinner."

Aeden nodded and allowed her to lead him by the hand. His thoughts were jumbled. He was happy his brother lived, but all his grief was also brought to the surface of his soul. They rounded a corner and stopped in front of a door. Delia knocked, and opened the door.

There stood Fergus, adjusting a green doublet as he looked in a mirror. He looked just as Delia remembered him, only thinner and more guarded. He turned to them slowly, and seeing his brother immediately walked to him and embraced him.

"Aeden! Thank the Maker! I can't believe how blessed I am today! Let me look at you…" He examined his brother with the scrutiny of an older brother. "You've certainly been busy. I don't think you've ever looked so powerful. And you're a Grey Warden, eh? Congratulations!"

Delia gave both Fergus and Aeden gentle hugs before she left to give them some time alone. She walked back to her room. As she entered, she found Alistair sitting, just staring into the fire.

"Alistair… what's wrong?" Delia was worried by the expression on his face. He looked as though he was grieving for someone.

"I saw Wynne. She… examined me." He looked at his wife, his eyes full of emotions. Confusion, grief, happiness… they were all present at the same time. "Delia, I'm not tainted anymore. I'm not… a warden."

Delia pulled him into her embrace and held him tightly. "Perhaps it's a side effect from the Maker's returning you to me. You will always be a warden, Alistair, whether you are tainted or not. You survived the joining and took their oath. You are simply… unique. I'm certain there aren't many wardens who are also kings."

A laugh bellowed from his chest. "You are, of course, correct love. It's just, it was my last connection to Duncan. And now there's nothing."

"You have his shield and his blades. You also have your memories."

He sat down tiredly. "Yes, I suppose. It's just almost like I'm losing him again."

Delia sat on his lap and kissed his cheek. "What if I told you there was something you could do to bring him back into our lives in a way?"

"What do you mean?"

"Did I tell you our child is a boy?"

"A boy? No, you didn't. When did you learn this?"

"When I was in the Fade with my grandfather he mentioned that I would have a son." She smiled warmly and caressed her husband's cheek. "What would you think about naming him Duncan?"

"My… son. Named Duncan… You would be willing to do that?" he queried.

"Why not? It's a wonderful name, and I think naming our son after such a strong, brave man is only appropriate."

He kissed her warmly. "Have I ever told you how much I love you? Well, now I guess I have yet again. Why is it you always say the right things to make me feel so much better?"

"Perhaps it's because I love you as much as you love me."

They prepared themselves for dinner, knowing they would leave for the pyre immediately after they finished. Dinner was kept simple to take as little time as possible. Delia was happy to see Aeden and Fergus sitting together, laughing and joking jovially. As soon as the meal was finished, each member of the party walked solemnly to the shore of the Denerim harbor.

Anora's body lay in state on the deck of a small boat with her handmaiden, Erlina, at her side. Many citizens lined the banks as palace guardsmen surrounded the vessel to protect the bodies. Alistair and Delia were escorted to the site by a garrison of elite guards, each wearing the tabard of Ferelden over their armor.

Alistair approached the side of the boat and knelt in honor of the fallen queen. Every member of the party followed his example, only standing when their king rose. Turning toward the crowd, Alistair raised his arms for silence, and once the crowd settled he began to speak.

"I do not claim to have known Anora, but what I do know is that she tried to do what she felt was right for Ferelden. She became a queen from a common birth, and I know that my brother, Cailan, loved and trusted her very much. I pray they will find each other in the Fade and can have the kind of happiness in eternity that they were denied during their short lives. Maker, watch over our sister, Anora, and her faithful servant, Erlina, and guide their way to your side."

He nodded to the captain of the garrison entrusted to the care of the boat, and the men pushed it out into the harbor. Selected archers from each noble house were ordered to set the boat ablaze once it had reached the center of the harbor. Alistair and Delia stood there watching as the boat glowed, the light reflected upward from the water as the wooden frame was consumed by the flames. When the final embers ceased to be visible, the new king and queen of Ferelden led their companions back to the palace. The old regime had been put to rest, and the following day would begin a new era for all Fereldens.


	82. Chapter 82

**_Wow, it's the final chapter. Thank you all for reading, alerting, reviewing, and most of all enjoying my story. I'm thinking of writing a sequel, so let me know if you think I should. I really appreciate every review from each of you and hope you will consider reading whatever I write in the future. I know I'll be looking for your stories!_**

**_Thank you, Liso66, for pointing out a major timeline error. I've corrected it here. I always appreciate the help I get from everyone who reads my story!_**

Chapter 82: A New Beginning

The day of the coronation was filled with the bustle of servants as they tried to make the great hall of the palace ready for the celebration. Flowers were gathered to decorate the tables and banners were hung making the otherwise drab stone walls flash with color. Trent and Zevran were kept busy with security details, but otherwise most of their companions were trying their best to stay out of the way. Teagan and Eamon spent time in the morning briefing Alistair and Delia on how the ceremony would be conducted and what political protocols would need to be followed. There were so many details to take care of and such little time that it made their heads swim as they tried to keep track of everything.

Lunch was the only time where they could relax and enjoy the company of their friends. Dairren, Aeden and Fergus spent the meal teasing each other and reminiscing about childhood adventured at Highever. Trent, Oghren and Sten talked about some of the weaponry found in the armory. There were some ancient swords found that had impeccable workmanship and the three discussed ways to create new blades with similar craftsmanship. Wynne and Leliana tried to decide how best to style Delia's hair while Delia looked to her husband to save her from their overzealous attention. Alistair just sat back and watched as his adopted family interacted until Zevran decided to sneak up behind him and plant a kiss on his ear. Delia laughed herself silly as Alistair tried to rub the memory out of his skin.

After lunch the group needed to prepare for the ceremonies. Alistair and Delia walked to their quarters and found that the servants had laid out their clothes and armor. Not waiting for servants to help them dress, Delia helped Alistair with Cailan's armor. Since it was designed to be not only protective but decorative, it was more complicated to put on and Alistair was frustrated. Luckily, Delia's presence and gentle hands helped to relax him, and he was ready relatively quickly.

Delia put her dress on. She had decided to wear her wedding dress, thinking that the white and silver would look the best with her husband's golden armor. Alistair tried to help her with the laces, but his hands were too clumsy to handle the ties, so he left the room to find Leliana. Luckily for him, Leliana was already on her way, and she entered the room and helped Delia with the laces and then sat her down to work on her hair.

The Royal Guard was already starting to mobilize in the courtyard. Each soldier had polished their armor and they gleamed in the sunlight, their tabards ruffling slightly with the breeze from the harbor. Trent stood with the commanders, making certain that each regiment knew their precise instructions.

Most of Alistair and Delia's group planned to be in the Chantry rather than processing with the royal couple. Aeden, Trent and Zevran would be with the two as their personal guard, along with the two dogs. Wynne had taken it on herself to give both dogs baths, much to the canines' despair, so their coats were shiny and brushed. Leliana had wanted to tie ribbons around their necks in the colors of the Grey Wardens, but when the dogs protested Aeden convinced the bard that the dogs, being more warrior than lap dog, should look like they were working rather than simply being accessories.

When the time finally arrived for the procession to the Chantry they all took their places in the courtyard. The Royal Colorguard led the way, followed by one regiment of guardsmen. Alistair and Delia walked behind them with their friends right behind them. Several more regiments acted as the rear guard. All in all, it was an impressive display. As they walked through the streets, the citizens of Denerim lined the streets cheering.

Alistair and Delia shyly waved at the people as they walked to the Chantry. Neither was prepared for the outpouring of emotion from the citizens. They knew how much these people had lost battling the darkspawn. So many were dead, and there was so much destruction that it had been overwhelming. Watching as the people rejoiced gave the couple a great sense of pride in their people's fortitude. As they made the final turn to enter the market district, a young girl tried to run up to Delia, but was caught by one of the guardsmen. The child was frightened and screamed, catching Delia's attention, and the queen walked to the soldier.

"Please, put the child down," she said softly to the guard.

"Your Majesty, it is against protocol. The child could be a threat…"

"No, put her down."

He set her down in front of Delia, the child wide eyed as the queen put her hand on the girl's shoulder. "Are you alright, little one? Don't be afraid of the guardsman, he's only trying to protect us."

The girl, shaken and scared, tried to answer bravely, but her voice quivered. "Y… yes, my lady. I… I'm alright."

Delia smiled warmly at the girl. "What is your name, child?"

"My n… name is Rowena. My momma says I'm named after Queen Rowen."

Delia nodded. "Rowena is a beautiful name. Queen Rowen was a very interesting and wonderful person. It's nice to be named for someone important and meaningful."

Rowena smiled. "I brought you a p…present."

"Really? What did you bring me?" Delia knelt in front of the child with her hands on her knees as the child held out a bouquet of wildflowers.

"I picked these for you. I hope you like them." The girl was beaming with pride.

Delia took the flowers with a smile as Alistair, Aeden and the dogs walked up behind her. "These are lovely, Rowena!"

"I'm glad you like them. I wanted to give you something pretty today." The girl looked at the two war dogs as they approached, and she took a step backward in fear.

Delia looked behind her and saw the dogs. "Oh, the dogs are my friends. They won't hurt you. Actually, they both love children very much."

"I… I've seen mabaris before, but what is the other dog?"

"The mabari is Dusty. He is Warden Aeden's dog." Aeden nodded in acknowledgement. "This grey, furry dog is Griffon, a deer hound from the Frostback Mountains. He chose me to be his owner." Delia scratched him behind the ear. "You can pet them if you'd like."

Rowena reached her hand tentatively forward and gently patted each dog in turn. Both dogs wagged their tails at the child, making her giggle.

"Rowena, do you know what these white flowers are?" Delia asked the girl.

"Momma says they're Andraste's Grace. They smell really nice and you can dry them and make your closet smell fresh."

Delia smiled. "Tell your momma that they are one of my most favorite flowers. I will dry these back at the palace and keep them forever. This is one of the most wonderful presents I have ever been given."

Delia stood up and kissed the child on her forehead. Saying goodbye to Rowena, the royal entourage walked the rest of the way to the Chantry.

Every seat was filled in the sanctuary. The front left row was filled with the people Delia and Alistair considered to be their family. Wynne sat next to the center aisle, smiling proudly, with Dairren, Fergus, Oghren, Leliana and Sten to her left. As Delia and Alistair passed the front row, Delia handed the bouquet to Wynne to care for until the returned to the palace. The mage smiled as she smelled the scent of the Andraste's Grace and watched as the young man she almost considered to be her own son walked to the side of the altar. Because she couldn't fit on the bench, Shale stood in the front just in back of the royal couple, looking almost like a carved pillar. The front right aisle had Teagan and Eamon, with space left near the center aisle for Aeden, Zevran and Trent. They sat as the procession passed the seats. The two dogs sat in the aisle next to the front rows, Griffon to the left and Dusty to the right. Guardsmen took positions along the walls before the ceremony started, and Alistair and Delia were seated on ceremonial chairs in the front near the altar.

There were many readings from the Chant of Light followed by speeches by various prominent nobles. Alistair started to get restless. He could feel the eyes of all the nobles on him and he felt self-conscious and nervous. His fingers started to drum on the armrest of his chair absentmindedly. Delia gently put her hand on his to calm him. He looked at her and she smiled at him. There was something about her smile, her touch, that immediately calmed him, and he smiled back at her with gratitude.

Finally it was time for Alistair to receive his crown from the Blessed Mother. He knelt in front of Mother Perpetua as she asked performed the rite of coronation as it had been done since King Calenhad himself.

"Will you to your power cause Law and Justice, in Mercy, to be executed in all your judgments?" the Blessed Mother asked.

"I will," Alistair responded firmly and loudly enough to be heard throughout the sanctuary.

"Will you to the utmost of your power maintain the will of the Maker and his Blessed Wife, Andraste, and follow the Chant of Light?"

"I will."

"And will you protect your people, the people of Ferelden, from all assaults of their enemies?"

"All this I promise to do. The things which I have here before promised, I will perform, and keep. May the Maker watch over Ferelden and keep her in his care."

The Blessed Mother gently placed the crown on Alistair's head. "Rise and be recognized by your people, King Alistair of Ferelden."

As Mother Perpetua smiled, Alistair stood and received cheers from the nobles and guardsmen in attendance. Then it was time for Delia to receive her crown. She stood and gracefully knelt in front of her husband.

"Will you assist the King to cause Law and Justice, in Mercy, to be executed in all judgments?" he asked his wife.

"I will." Delia smiled at him.

"Will you to the utmost of your power maintain the will of the Maker and his Blessed Wife, Andraste, and follow the Chant of Light?"

"I will."

"And will you protect your people, the people of Ferelden, from all assaults of their enemies?"

"All this I promise to do. The things which I have here before promised, I will perform, and keep. May the Maker watch over Ferelden and keep her in his care."

Alistair took his turn to place the crown on Delia's head, and then he offered his hand to assist her to stand. "Rise and be recognized by your people, Queen Delia of Ferelden."

As she rose, he placed his hand on her chin and gave her a kiss before she turned to the audience to receive her own set of cheers. He took her hand as they stood in front of the assembled nobles as the new King and Queen of Ferelden. It was then time to walk back to the Palace for the celebratory feast. Alistair led his queen down the aisle of the Chantry, followed by their friends and family. The procession through the Denerim streets was longer, now that the nobles were added to the group, but the reception from the citizens was even more ecstatic than earlier. The people had their new king and queen, and it seemed they would follow the pair to the Black City itself!

Once at the palace, Delia sent a servant to take the bouquet to her chambers. The nobles entered the Great Hall and the festivities began. There were so many nobles who wanted the opportunity to speak to the new king or queen that the two barely saw each other during the event.

Delia specifically looked for her friends. Now that the archdemon was defeated and the Blight over, she worried what they would do and if they would leave her. As she found them and had a chance to speak to each, she was relieved that Zevran and Oghren would be remaining at the palace. Leliana would be staying for the time being, but was hoping that Aeden would ask her to join him in Amaranthine when he traveled there to create a new Grey Warden stronghold in Ferelden. Wynne agreed to stay at the palace until Delia gave birth, but then she planned to accompany Shale to Tevinter. The golem wished to find a way to return to her original dwarvan form. Hopefully they would find the proper magic to do that for her. Sten intended to return to his homeland to give his report about the Blight. Although it saddened Delia that he would leave, she knew his honor would never allow him to stay.

After socializing for some time, Teagan approached her. "Delia, we need you and Alistair to make an appearance on the balcony. The people are calling for you."

She smiled at him, and with a nod allowed him to lead her to her husband. Alistair beamed at her as she approached him and gladly took her hand from his chancellor. The two walked to the door of the balcony, but before the servants opened the door Alistair turned to Delia.

"Are you ready for this?" he asked with a serious expression on his face. "I mean, they're counting on us."

Delia put her hand on his cheek and smiled. "We haven't been ready for any of this, but somehow we've managed so far. The Maker will help us." Her hands suddenly flew to her abdomen. "Ooof! I think he just… yes, he just kicked me!" She took Alistair's hand and placed it on her abdomen.

His face brightened with a smile that reached from ear to ear. "I felt him! Maker, he's a strong baby!"

Delia looked at him with love in her eyes. "He's just like his father."

Alistair kissed her warmly and then looked into her eyes. "Well, I think it's time to see our people. It's a new beginning for us… for all of Ferelden."

The servant opened the door and as the king and queen walked onto the balcony the citizens erupted in cheers. Ferelden was indeed ready for a new era with the new King Alistair and his true love, Queen Delia.


End file.
